A God Given Form
by Connor Chang
Summary: The shadowy organization NERV combats the threat of the mysterious Angels with biotechnological weapons dubbed "Evangelion," but a scientific research group called MONARCH believes that victory lies with a monster from the dawn of time. Godzilla/Evangelion crossover, with some Misato x Shinji shippiness thrown in for good measure.
1. Janjira, Japan – 2015

**A God Given Form** by Connor Chang  
>Based on the character "Godzilla" owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd.<br>and _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ created by Hideaki Anno

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><p><strong>Janjira, Japan – 2015<strong>

A blue Renault Alpine A310, nearly pristine save for some mud splattered on the tires, pulled into the driveway of the Torahata residence at around 15:00 on a humid summer's day. It had rained earlier in this part of the woods, and the asphalt on the road was slippery and littered with dampened leaves and snapped twigs. A thin, warm mist, not entirely invisible, hung in the air, clinging to the skin and clothing of the driver and her two passengers as they exited the car.

"Hope things weren't too cramped back there for ya, Doctor," the twenty-nine-year-old purple-haired woman said as she brought her seat forward, allowing the older brunette to step out.

"It's fine, thank you, Miss Katsuragi," the doctor replied as she ducked her head and eased her way out of the vehicle. "_Sensei_'s the one who truly needs the legroom."

"Thank you," the tall man with the shoulder bag said with a nod, closing the car door behind him.

"No problem," the younger woman chuckled. "By the way, just call me Misato!"

The three made their way to the beige front door of the small house nestled amongst the trees. The earth-toned paint on the wood siding had peeled off, and the front windows were dirtied and ever so slightly cracked. The door handle was worn and rusted, as was the house number, '4.' Clearly, this place had been a little bit neglected.

Misato Katsuragi, flanked from behind by her two associates, put on a friendly smile and rang the doorbell, the sound of which was less than pleasant. It took a few seconds before someone answered the door – a gangly fourteen-year-old boy with brown hair and deep blue eyes, dressed casually in shorts and a tee shirt.

"…Miss Katsuragi?" the boy asked after a second, his voice rather meek.

The purple-haired, brown-eyed woman, about a head taller than the boy and clad in a slinky black dress, leaned forward a little, a smile still on her face. "That's right! Nice to meet you in person, Shinji Ikari."

Shinji bowed slightly to the woman whose letter he had received. "Nice to meet you."

Misato playfully giggled, then indicated her cohorts. "And these two are Dr. Ishiro Serizawa and Dr. Vivienne Graham." She motioned to the tall man, then to the brunette.

"Nice to meet you," Dr. Serizawa said to Shinji with a nod. The boy responded in kind.

Misato peered into the doorway, looking past Shinji to see if anyone else was around. "Is Mr. Torahata here?"

"No," Shinji said, shaking his head, "Mr. Torahata isn't here too often."

Misato frowned a little, her suspicions about Shinji's current guardian now confirmed. "Oh… Well, then, do you mind if we come in?"

"Oh! Please, come in," Shinji replied, and shuffled backwards, allowing the three visitors to enter and remove their shoes. "Would you all like something to drink?"

"No, we're fine, thank you," Dr. Graham said, knowing that they would have to get down to business soon.

Soon, the four had all sat down in the sparsely furnished living room, with Misato and Shinji occupying the plain sofa and Drs. Serizawa and Graham each occupying a plain armchair. Not only was the exterior of the house rather drab, but so was the interior. The walls were mostly blank, and the furniture was monochromatic and dull. Mr. Torahata was not the homemaking type, apparently.

"So, can I ask what this is about?" Shinji said. "I mean, I got your letter, Miss Katsuragi, but it didn't really say much… Something about my father?"

Dr. Serizawa reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a manila folder labeled 'TOP SECRET,' which he promptly handed to Shinji. "Please take a look at this."

Shinji curiously opened the folder to reveal a series of photographs, beginning with an old black-and-white shot of a submarine, the word 'NAUTILUS' emblazoned on its side.

"In 1954," Serizawa began, "the first time a nuclear submarine ever reached the lower depths…it awakened something."

"The Americans first thought that it was the Russians," Dr. Graham continued. "The Russians thought that it was them. All those nuclear bomb tests in the fifties? Not tests." Shinji moved the first photograph out of the way to reveal a shot of a nuclear bomb detonating over the Pacific Ocean.

"They were trying to kill it," Serizawa said, with a grave tone in his voice. He motioned for the boy to move to the next photograph.

Shinji obliged. The next image was of a giant creature, at least 100 meters long, emerging from the waters just offshore of a tropical island, displacing thousands of tons of seawater as it rose. It was dark in color, and had several large spines jutting out of its back. It looked like the kind of monster found in old seafarers' tales from hundreds of years ago. Shinji gasped in shock and studied the picture closely, not sure what to make of it.

"Him," Serizawa continued after Shinji had seen the photograph. "An ancient alpha predator."

"Millions of years older than mankind," Graham began to explain, "from an age when the Earth was ten times more radioactive than it is today. This animal, and others like it, consumed this radiation as a food source. But as the levels on the surface naturally subsided, these creatures adapted to live deeper in the oceans, further underground, absorbing radiation from the planet's core. The organization that we work for, MONARCH, was established in the wake of this discovery. A multinational coalition formed in secrecy, to search for him…study him…learn everything we could."

"We call him…" Serizawa said, pausing for emphasis, "…Gojira."

"The top of the primordial ecosystem," Graham added. "A god, for all intents and purposes."

Shinji was both baffled and frightened by this new knowledge. "A monster," he finally said, his voice wavering. "But…wait, why are you telling me all of this?"

Serizawa's expression turned grim before he answered. "Because your parents used to belong to our organization."

Shinji's eyes widened. "My parents?"

Serizawa nodded. "Yes. Your mother and father were both highly valued by MONARCH in the years before Second Impact."

"Second Impact?" Shinji repeated, his fingers nervously twitching. "The meteorite impact in Antarctica fifteen years ago?"

"That's correct," Graham began, "but it was not a meteorite that caused the cataclysm. What truly happened was more complicated." At these words, Misato's eyes darted to the ground, almost as if the purple-haired woman had wished to avoid this topic. Graham continued. "The truth is that Second Impact was caused by mysterious beings that we call Angels."

"Mysterious beings? Like…Gojira?" Shinji asked, struggling to remember the name of the monstrous creature in the photograph.

"No," Serizawa replied. "Different beings, completely alien in nature."

"The governments of the world decided to cover up what happened, for fear that the truth might cause panic and further plunge the world into chaos." As Graham finished her sentence, she and the other two senior members in the room remembered the state of utter disarray and conflict that had plagued the world just after the cataclysmic event. Misato looked particularly distraught. "After Second Impact, your father became devoted to studying the Angels. He split off from MONARCH and became the head of an organization called NERV, which has since been developing a special weapon to combat the Angels in the event of their return. A synthetic, weaponized organism cloned from Angel cells."

Misato finally stepped into the conversation. "We have word from a reliable source that NERV is going to try to recruit you to pilot that weapon, Shinji." Her eyes narrowed. "That's why we're here – to make sure that you know what's happening before NERV gets to you."

Shinji's face had turned pale, and his expression betrayed his utter confusion. "W-what? Why would my father want to recruit me?"

"Out of convenience," Misato replied with a frown, sounding disgusted at Shinji's father's intentions. "He just wants you for the program because you're the right age."

Shinji contemplated this for a moment. "But if my father – if NERV – is making a weapon to fight the Angels, isn't that a good thing?" he genuinely asked, still trying to get up to speed.

"If the weapon has been cloned from Angel cells," Graham responded, "your father might be tampering with forces beyond anyone's control. There's no guarantee that the weapon will work, and if it does, it might end up turning against mankind due to its origins."

"The important thing, Shinji, is that we don't want you to end up a soldier." Misato placed a slender hand on Shinji's shoulder. "That's why we came here. That's why I sent you that letter. We don't want NERV to exploit you."

The boy felt his heart flutter a little at Misato's touch, but sat as still as he could, trying to stay focused. "So, what if the Angels do come back and the weapon doesn't work? Then what?"

"Nature has an order," Serizawa responded, "a power to restore balance." The doctor glanced at the photograph of Gojira. "I believe he is that power."

Shinji looked back at the image before him, examining it more closely. He was baffled at the thought that something posed such a threat that the only means of stopping it was either a biotechnological weapon that might not work, or a giant prehistoric monster. As he played back Serizawa's and Graham's words in his head, the boy somehow found himself siding with the monster. Perhaps it was because he hated his father for abandoning him and was willing to sabotage any plans he might have out of spite. Or, perhaps it was because he subconsciously knew that the harbinger of natural order was best left unopposed. Either way, the more he thought, the more he believed in Gojira.

Misato, meanwhile, watched Shinji's expressions carefully. She recognized that he was going through the same thought process that she had gone through when MONARCH first recruited her all those years ago. But while she had initially been dismissive of the notion that Gojira was the savior of the planet, Shinji appeared to have more easily accepted the idea. The purple-haired woman couldn't help but smile at the boy, recognizing that he was on the right track. Yes, there was an objectively right track. The alternative was to join NERV, an organization whose leader was playing God with little regard to consequences and intentionally endangering human lives – all for the sake of fighting an enemy that hadn't reappeared in fifteen years.

"Shinji," Misato said after she had given the boy a few seconds to mull things over, "do you like living here?"

Shinji leaned back in his seat, nervously casting his glance down to the floor after eyeing Misato. He took a deep breath. These people were complete strangers, and yet he somehow felt like he would be comfortable telling them how he felt. They had entrusted him with such important information and warned him of what his father was planning; in a way, they made him feel worthy, valued, something he hadn't felt in a very long while. It didn't seem like there was any ulterior motive, either. It seemed as though these people legitimately cared about his well-being.

"…honestly? I really don't," the boy said after a moment's pause. "Mr. Torahata's barely ever around, and he never pays me any mind when he is. I don't have any real friends, either. It's basically just me, alone."

Misato frowned again, balling up her hands into loose fists. Silently, she cursed Shinji's father for leaving him with Torahata, and cursed Torahata for being so negligent. She began to experience unwanted memories of her childhood and her deadbeat father, and had to take a second or two to banish them from her mind before speaking again. Pushing past her lingering resentment, Misato eventually smiled at Shinji. "Would you like to come with us?"

Shinji perked up. "What?"

Dr. Graham smiled as well. "MONARCH has made plans to accommodate you near our regional headquarters in Tokyo-2, to prevent NERV from trying to find you here. You'll be under our full protection – if, of course, you want it."

"We don't want to put you under any pressure," Serizawa added. "You can take as much time to think about this as you want."

"I'll do it," Shinji replied almost immediately, stunning both doctors. "I'll go with you."

"Are you sure, Shinji?" Misato asked. "We don't want to rush you into making a decision."

"I know, but it's fine. I want to do this," Shinji responded. "I've got nothing here. Please, let me come with you."

Misato projected a warm smile and took Shinji by the hand, the sudden gesture causing the boy to blush. "In that case, I'm going to be your new guardian," the purple-haired woman said. "MONARCH's prepared to move you into my apartment so I can look after you."

Shinji was taken by surprise. "We'll be living together?"

"Is there something wrong?" Misato asked, tilting her head quizzically.

Shinji's blush deepened. "N-no, it's just that…well, I'm a guy, and you're…"

Misato realized Shinji's concern, and giggled. "Don't worry, it's not like we're going to be sharing the same room! It'll be completely innocent cohabitation. Okay?"

Shinji appeared embarrassed for a few seconds, but his mouth soon curled up into a smile. "Yeah, that sounds great."


	2. Janjira to Tokyo-2 – The Same Day

**Janjira to Tokyo-2 – The Same Day**

Shinji's worldly possessions were so meager that he was able to pack them all, sans a 3/4 cello, into a single, moderately sized suitcase in less than an hour, after which he loaded both suitcase and instrument into the Renault and departed with Misato and Drs. Serizawa and Graham. The boy left Mr. Torahata a note saying that he'd be gone and most likely not be coming back, but he expected his 'guardian' not to care or even notice. Ever since Shinji had been placed in Mr. Torahata's care by his father, he'd been ignored, neglected, and expected to fend for himself more often than not. Now, things were about to change in a big way. The run down house in the woods, Shinji's home for the past ten or eleven years, held no sentimental value; in fact, the sooner he left, the better.

The car ride to Tokyo-2 took about three hours in total, with only a few stops made along the way for gas and refreshments. For most of the trip, Shinji was plugged into his SDAT player, lulled to sleep by the comforting melodies of Chopin. Serizawa and Graham mostly alternated between napping and writing notes, while Misato, fueled by canned coffee and sheer willpower, managed to stay awake for the entire time driving. None of the four bothered to pay attention to the scenery they passed by, which mostly consisted of untamed forest and run-down buildings. Only when the group had reached the outskirts of Tokyo-2 did Shinji start paying attention to his surroundings.

Shinji hadn't been to a big city for as long as he could remember, and was stunned by the sight of skyscraper after magnificent skyscraper lining the streets, forming a veritable jungle of concrete, steel, and glass. Misato found herself smiling at the boy's wonderment as she glanced back at him occasionally from the driver's seat. She had long been desensitized to the towering architecture, but to know that someone could still be amazed by it somehow made her spirits lift, even if only a little.

After about a half-hour of driving across the cityscape, the four finally arrived at an unassuming apartment complex just outside of the central business district. "Home sweet home," Misato sighed with relief, as she pulled into a reserved parking space. "This is where most members of MONARCH in Tokyo-2 live. I'm on the fifth floor."

After a short elevator ride, the group arrived on the building's fifth story, and Serizawa and Graham announced that they would be parting ways with Misato and Shinji for the day.

"We'll come to check up on you tomorrow, just to make sure you're feeling well about your new arrangements," Graham said.

"Thank you," Shinji responded with a bow. "Really, thank you so much for letting me come with you. It means a lot to me."

The doctors said their goodbyes and then departed, leaving Misato and Shinji alone.

"Well, then!" Misato said with a smile. "Come on, let me show you the place." The purple-haired woman led Shinji to the door marked '509,' labeled with her surname, and after a few seconds of fumbling with the keys opened it up and entered. She turned back to look at Shinji and noticed that he was hesitating, as if waiting for an invitation. "Hey, come in."

Shinji fidgeted nervously. "Uh…I don't…want to intrude…"

Misato put on a reassuring expression, trying to dispel any lingering anxiety that the boy might have about moving in. "Shinji, this is your home now."

Shinji averted his gaze from Misato's eyes down to the threshold. After a moment's pause and a deep breath, he stepped inside.

"I'm…I'm home," he said after another brief pause, smiling timidly up at his new guardian.

Misato beamed. "Welcome home."

As the front door closed shut, she began to lead Shinji down the foyer and into the main living area. "Um, as you can see, the place is just a little bit messy, but…go ahead and make yourself comfortable!"

Shinji's eyes widened at the sight of Misato's apartment. "This is…a _little_ messy?!"

It looked as though a tornado had torn through the place. Clothes, cans, bottles, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and newspapers were strewn everywhere, littering the floor and covering the furniture. The only visible trashcan was very clearly overflowing. The atmosphere reeked of beer and TV dinners.

Shinji turned to look at Misato, only to find that she had already left for another room.

_What exactly have I gotten myself into?_ the boy thought, glancing back at the piles of trash scattered all over.

Misato, meanwhile, had retreated to her room to shed her somewhat confining black dress and exchange it for more comfortable cutoff shorts and a loose-fitting tank top. She hoped that her veritable pigsty of an apartment (it was far from a _little_ bit messy, as she had said before) didn't leave the wrong impression on Shinji; while she knew that she wasn't exactly on top of things when it came to doing housework, she fully intended to be a responsible guardian. The boy needed someone to care for him, someone to protect him from the machinations of his father and NERV. Misato had promised herself that she would be that person, and that she would give Shinji a better life than the one he had before – or the one he would have had if NERV had gotten to him first.

Several minutes later, Misato and Shinji sat down to a dinner comprised of reheated leftovers and pre-packaged dishes. Only about half of the kitchen table had been cleared of beer cans to make room for the food and the diners' place settings.

After swilling down a rather massive gulp of Yebisu beer, Misato slammed the can down onto the table surface and gasped loudly, in a perhaps overly exaggerated fashion. "You know, life just doesn't get any better than this!" She then noticed that Shinji wasn't eating, and toned down her theatrics. "Hm? Not hungry? It's good, even if it _is_ all instant."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to food like this," Shinji replied meekly.

In truth, there was more food in front of him than he knew what do with. He was used to tiny portions, and the wealth of options before him was somewhat overwhelming. But, that was only part of the reason for his hesitation. More importantly, he was unused to having someone display such kindness to him, even if Misato was just offering him food.

Though there was a negligible amount of alcohol in her system at that point, Misato decided that it was a good time to tease Shinji.

"What?!" she shouted, her face scrunching up in mock anger. "Are you being picky?!" The purple-haired woman snarled and stood up out of her chair, leaning forward in an aggressive display and bringing her face (and chest) too close for Shinji's comfort.

"Wha- No!" Shinji stuttered, panic-stricken. "That's not what…"

Misato's expression quickly softened, and she chuckled a little. "Isn't this nice?"

Shinji was utterly bewildered. "…uh?"

"Having two for dinner sure beats eating alone, huh?" Misato then sat back down, taking another swig of her beer.

Shinji, still hopelessly confused, nodded hesitantly.

"Remember," Misato said enthusiastically after gulping down her drink, "this is your home, so feel free to take advantage of everything here." She then winked and raised a finger at Shinji. "Except, of course, me!"

Shinji blushed and nervously cast his gaze to the side. "Um, yes, ma'am."

"Do I look like a 'ma'am' to you?" Misato said in a mock condescending tone, crossing her arms. Again, she dropped her act after a second, reverting to her default, friendly persona. "Just Misato's fine. We're roomies, after all!"

A wonderful idea for a tease suddenly popped into her head. "Oh, yeah, since we're roomies, I should probably mention that I walk around the house naked sometimes, so don't be alarmed!" She could barely hold in her laughter.

Shinji's blush became more furious, and he desperately tried to focus on something other than the woman in front of him, out of fear of being labeled a pervert. He had to admit that Misato was very attractive, and the teasing only made her seem more so.

In his scanning the apartment for other things to focus on, Shinji noticed something he hadn't before.

"Uh, Miss Katsu- Misato," he began, correcting himself, "why are there two refrigerators?"

Misato perked up from the new beer can that she had just started. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you!" She immediately dropped what she was doing, made her way over to the metallic gray refrigerator – opposite the beige refrigerator that held her ice, snacks, and fifty gallons of beer – and knocked on the door. "Hey, Pen Pen," she said to the fridge, "come out! There's someone you need to meet."

The door to the fridge opened, and out stepped the strangest thing Shinji had ever seen. Ostensibly, it was a penguin of some sort, with a crest of brilliant red feathers, pointy claws on its flippers, and a strange metallic apparatus attached to its back. A large tag labeled 'PEN2' hung around its neck. The creature looked as though it had just woken up, its green eyes half-lidded. Misato picked the birdlike thing up with two hands and cradled it in her arms, a look of pure adoration on her face.

"Shinji, say hello to your _other_ roommate, Pen Pen," Misato said to the boy, before refocusing her attention on the strange animal. "Pen Pen, this is Shinji."

The penguin-creature looked over at Shinji and tiredly squawked in greetings. Shinji wasn't sure how to respond.

"…uh…" the boy began uncertainly, "…what exactly is that?"

"He's a penguin, silly!" Misato chuckled, before letting Pen Pen down to the floor to go about his business. "Actually, he's a new species of warm-water penguin. Before I joined MONARCH, I used to work as an aide in a research lab. Pen Pen was the result of a genetic experiment there. When the researchers told me they were going to euthanize him, well, I just couldn't let that happen! So, I took him in, and he's been with me through thick and thin ever since."

Shinji looked down curiously at the bird as Misato finished her explanation. Pen Pen squawked at the boy again before waddling back to his refrigerator, closing the door on his way inside.

"Isn't he the cutest?" Misato said, once the penguin had retreated. Not sure whether to agree or disagree, Shinji nodded, making a confused noise.

* * *

><p>After finishing dinner and taking a nice, hot bath to wind down for the day, Misato decided to check up on Shinji in his new room, where he had already settled for the night. Gently, she knocked on the door, already decorated with a heart-shaped sign that read 'Shin<em>-chan<em>'s Lovely Suite.'

"Come in," came a meek voice from the other side.

Misato opened the door to find Shinji kneeling on his futon in the dark, trying to appear somewhat presentable for his new guardian. His SDAT player lay next to him – he'd been listening to it to help himself get to sleep. His suitcase was still unpacked.

"I'm sorry, were you asleep?" Misato asked.

"Oh, no, I was awake," Shinji replied, shaking his head. "Why, what is it?"

Misato smiled gently as she made her way into the room and knelt down to meet Shinji at eye level. "I just want to make sure you'll be comfortable for the night before I turn in."

Shinji anxiously nodded and blushed. "I-I'll be fine. Thank you, Misato."

Misato reached forward and took Shinji's hand in hers, causing the boy to blush even more.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" the purple-haired woman softly said, gently caressing the back of Shinji's hand with her thumb. "I know this whole situation is going to take some getting used to, but I'm with you every step of the way."

Shinji smiled slightly, then nodded, feeling a bit more reassured.

Misato stayed still for a little while, then stood up and turned to exit the room, lingering in the doorway to glance back at her new ward.

"Good night, Shinji. Sleep well."

* * *

><p>Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, a leviathan stirred.<p>

The titanic prehistoric creature sensed a grave disturbance from his resting place in the Ogasawara Trench – something big (other than him) was moving, headed for the Japanese archipelago. While he could not tell exactly what the entity was, its presence was definitely sinister. Now was the first time in years that something of such size and potential threat had made itself known. There was not a moment to waste, else the natural order be thrown off balance again.

Rising from the trench, Gojira set off after the mysterious presence, a rekindled flame of determination burning within him. He would not fail this time.


	3. NERV HQ, Tokyo-3 – The Next Day

**NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3 – The Next Day**

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi exhaled deeply, her hands balling up into fists on her desk, before taking another drag of her electronic cigarette. Avoiding anxiety attacks had been part of the thirty-year-old faux blonde's daily routine for as long as she could remember, and while countless sessions with therapists and prescribed coping strategies were somewhat helpful, smoking was the only truly effective method of calming her nerves. It had been a very rarely exercised method in past, as she had worried about disgusting tar buildup in her lungs. But, since the advent of carcinogen-free e-cigs, she now smoked much more frequently, and was an overall calmer and better-adjusted person for it.

The phone rang, and Ritsuko picked it up with her free hand, still holding her cigarette in the other.

"Yes?" she answered.

"_Senpai_," replied the voice of Lieutenant Maya Ibuki, Ritsuko's assistant, "you're requested in the Command Center right away. It's important."

"I'm on my way," the doctor said, and hung up. As she stood, she made sure to grab her case of e-cigs and place it in her jacket pocket before heading out – judging from the urgency in Maya's voice, she'd need them.

The underground headquarters of NERV, situated inside a massive GeoFront, was infamously difficult to navigate due its size and layout. Since Ritsuko had been with the organization for almost five years, however, she knew her way around, and reached the Command Center in mere minutes.

The Tactical Control Room was utterly massive, spanning at least 100 meters from front to back and fifty meters across, and looked straight out of a science fiction movie. At the very front was a large video screen, currently showing an infrared aerial view of the Pacific Ocean and the Japanese coastline. Accompanying the screen were two small control stations, one to each side, occupied by several personnel. In the middle of the room was a giant three-dimensional holographic map of Tokyo-3 and its surroundings, hovering in midair. At the back was a central tower with multiple platforms jutting out, the topmost being the Command Center.

"What's the situation?" Ritsuko asked as she stepped into the room.

The 24-year-old, short-haired Maya turned around in her seat at a computer console. "We've picked up two large heat signatures in the Pacific, ma'am." Indeed, two distinct red blots were visible on the gargantuan viewing screen, one headed for Tokyo-3, the other trailing behind it.

Ritsuko's emerald green eyes went wide. "Heat signatures?"

"The MAGI have confirmed that they belong to two giant organisms," said Makoto Hyuga, Maya's fellow technician, who turned in his chair to face Ritsuko with a worried look. "Angels."

Ritsuko brought a hand to her mouth, a shocked expression crossing her face. "Have you notified Captain Katagiri?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling.

"He'll be here in a few minutes," Makoto said with a nod.

Ritsuko turned around and looked up at the Commander's booth, the throne of the castle that was NERV Headquarters.

There, Commander Gendo Ikari sat as still as a statue, his hands folded in front of his face, his eyes invisible due to the light of the video screen reflecting off his glasses. With the Sub-Commander at his side, the stoic man waited patiently to give orders at the exact right moment.

"Contact the United Nations," the Commander finally said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Tell them to prepare their forces for battle."

"At once, sir," the tall, aging Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki replied, before turning to leave.

Ritsuko furrowed her brow. The moment she had dreaded for fifteen years would soon arrive.

* * *

><p>Back in Tokyo-2, Misato was very comfortably sprawled out on her futon, still asleep and snoring loudly, when her phone rang. Groaning at the sound that had interrupted her beauty rest, the purple-haired woman buried her head underneath her pillow, hoping for the annoyance to go away. The phone, however, would not stop ringing. Misato groaned again, this time more venomously, and forcefully grabbed the offending object that lay beside her mattress.<p>

"What?" she tersely responded.

"Miss Katsuragi, this is Dr. Serizawa," the doctor's voice came over the line. "Our satellites have picked up two large heat signatures in the Pacific. One of them may be an Angel."

Immediately, Misato fully awoke and leapt out of bed. "What?! I'm on my way!" She quickly hung up, cutting off whatever Serizawa had been about to say, and began searching the piles of clothing strewn about her room for something to wear. After donning a sleeveless turtleneck and a pencil skirt, she exited the room, only to stop dead in her tracks when she smelled something rather delicious.

Entering the kitchen, Misato found a fully dressed Shinji helping himself to some of the food left over from the previous night's dinner. Pen Pen sat next to him, eating out of a can of sardines. While the penguin was completely undeterred from his meal, Shinji perked up when he saw Misato enter the room.

"Oh! Good morning, Misato," the boy said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind, but I was feeling kind of hungry."

"Not a problem at all! What's mine is yours, remember?" Misato said as she approached her new ward with a bit of a nervous spring in her step. "Actually, I'm sorry, but I gotta run. Something important just came up!" She paused for a second, then smiled as an idea popped into her head. "Hey, do you want to see something really cool?"

Shinji was taken aback. "Uh, what?"

"Come with me; I'll show you where I work!" Misato said enthusiastically. "It'll be fun! But we gotta get going, like, right now."

"Uh…okay, but should I put away the food first?"

"No time!" Misato exclaimed. "Pen Pen'll take care of it." The penguin looked up from his meal and squawked in disapproval; Misato ignored him. "Now come on, let's go!"

Shinji obliged and hopped out of his seat, chasing after Misato as she made for the exit. He still wasn't quite sure what was going on, and he wouldn't be sure until after the two had sped off in Misato's Renault.

"Dr. Serizawa called me just a few minutes ago," Misato explained in the car, her eyes totally focused on the road. "MONARCH's satellites picked up a heat bloom in the ocean. He said that it might be an Angel." She narrowed her eyes and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "The first one in fifteen years…" Shinji didn't respond, but merely watched Misato with concern.

Moments later, Misato had parked the car in an underground parking garage and brought Shinji along with her to a nearby freight elevator. Inside, the floor selection panel had a button distinct from the floor, parking, and emergency buttons, marked with a sideways-tilted hourglass shape. Misato briefly browsed through the keys on her key ring before finding the appropriate one with an "A-ha!" She inserted the key into the key slot, then pressed the mysterious button. The elevator slowly descended, and after what seemed like forever, the doors opened.

MONARCH's covert base of operations was relatively small, but well-staffed, brightly lit, and outfitted with sufficient technology. A video screen was built into one of the walls, displaying an infrared aerial view of the Pacific Ocean and the Japanese coastline. Several people sat around a large, illuminated table below the screen, analyzing sheets of data. More attended to the various computer consoles lined up in stepped rows, while a few darted in and out of either of the two smaller data rooms on each side of the large central table. Shinji was stunned; never before had he seen such an extensive operation.

Misato smiled proudly. "Welcome to MONARCH, Shinji." The purple-haired woman then spied Serizawa and Graham, and motioned for Shinji to follow her over to them. "Dr. Serizawa!"

The two doctors both turned around to find the source of the light, feminine voice.

"You brought Shinji with you?" Graham asked, staring questioningly at Misato.

"Why not? I just wanted to show him around," Misato responded in an innocent tone. "It's not like I'm putting him in danger or anything."

"True, but maybe this is not such a good time for a tour," Serizawa said.

"Right. Sorry. Anyway – the Angel?" Misato's attitude turned serious almost instantly; Shinji was impressed by just how rapid her change of character was.

Serizawa indicated the video screen. "We're still unsure as to whether it _is_ an Angel, but it seems likely. We know for certain that both heat signatures belong to giant organisms."

Misato's eyes widened as she realized the implications of there being _two_ signatures. "Then…the second signature is…"

"Gojira," Shinji said, finishing Misato's thought for her.

Graham nodded. "Again, we're not sure for certain, but it's highly likely. If it _is_ him, it's the first time in years he's been so close to the surface."

"He's chasing the Angel," Misato remarked, moving closer to the screen. "How long until they make landfall?"

"We've estimated that they'll arrive in Tokyo-3 in approximately twenty-eight hours," Serizawa answered. A look of discontent crossed his face. "NERV's jurisdiction."

Misato frowned and bit her lip. "So all we can do is just sit here and watch." She turned back to look at the two doctors. "Have we contacted Kaji?"

Serizawa nodded, his expression grim. "He said that NERV called in the United Nations armed forces to deal with the threat. No mention of Evangelion."

"Evangelion?" Shinji repeated, the word unfamiliar to him.

"The weapon cloned from Angel cells," Graham explained. "Giant, biomechanical monsters created through NERV playing God."

"If the Evangelion are activated," Serizawa added, "there's no telling what will happen. They might turn against NERV, or even humanity. And even if they perform as intended, whether or not they'll be able to defeat the Angels is uncertain."

Shinji's hands clenched into nervous fists. "So…Gojira is the only hope we have," he said softly. The boy was frightened by just how little could be done against the oncoming wrath of the Angels, and while he had faith in Gojira – faith that came from somewhere he wasn't sure of – he also had doubts.

Misato felt the same way Shinji did, and tightly gripped the cross-shaped pendant that hung around her neck. All she or anyone else could do was wait with bated breath.

* * *

><p>NERV's operations director, Captain Mitsuo Katagiri, stood tall, resplendent in a black trench coat, as he gazed at the video screen in the Control Room. A hint of a smile on his face, the gaunt, wild-eyed man almost looked happy that Tokyo-3 would soon be under siege. In truth, he was rather excited about the Angels' appearance, as it provided NERV the opportunity to finally unveil Evangelion to the world. Ever since he had first lain eyes on the weapons, he'd known that they were the key to mankind's salvation.<p>

Ritsuko, however, was less than enthused with Katagiri's eagerness for battle.

"Might I ask what has you so energized, Captain?" the blonde asked, crossing her arms.

"The thought of victory, Dr. Akagi," Katagiri replied, his expression unchanging. "Just think – in a day's time, Project E will finally have its moment to shine. Doesn't the thought of it make you shiver with anticipation?"

Ritsuko glared at the Captain. "Unlike you, I don't anticipate events that put lives at risk."

Katagiri turned his gaze to Ritsuko. "Sometimes, the only way victory can be achieved is through sacrifice." His gaze was so powerful that it bore a hole through the doctor's soul.

Ritsuko looked away, nervously bringing her e-cig to her lips and taking a drag. Katagiri smiled with sinister pride, and returned to watching the video screen.

"Has the Third Child been sent for yet?" the Captain asked after a moment.

"We sent a letter to Janjira just this morning," Ritsuko replied, closing her eyes and focusing on the aroma of her cigarette. "The Third Child should arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

"Just in time to pilot Unit-01." Katagiri placed his hands into his coat pockets.

Maya had watched the tense conversation unfold until her computer console beeped, indicating a new message from the MAGI supercomputers located just below the Command Center. The technician swiveled around in her seat and examined the report, and her eyes widened in surprise at the data before her. "_Senpai_!" she cried out. "The MAGI reports that the second heat signature in the Pacific is _not_ an Angel!"

Ritsuko and Katagiri both looked at Maya in disbelief.

"What?" Ritsuko went to her aide and leaned over her, checking the screen. "What is it, then?"

"The second target's identity is still unconfirmed, but upon closer inspection, its signature is distinct from an Angel's."

"I-I don't understand!" Ritsuko stuttered. "What else could be that big?"

"Gojira."

All in the Command Center turned their heads in bewilderment to Commander Ikari, who had just uttered the strange word.

"…Gojira?" Ritsuko repeated, confused.

"We are dealing with a greater threat than previously envisioned," the stoic man continued, still seated completely still. "Unit-01 will not only be forced to combat two hostile entities at once, but the second will be far more powerful than the first. The entirety of NERV is at risk. We must defeat both the Angel and Gojira at all costs."

He paused.

"Reactivate Unit-00."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to The High Demon Lord and Hylian Mage for following and Nexus Gundam for favoriting this story, and to Seraph Zero for reviewing the second chapter! Glad you're enjoying it so far, because things are about to get action-y!<p>

Seraph Zero, in regards to your question, this story is set in its own continuity, but I'm drawing mostly from the original anime rather than the Rebuild films (which I actually haven't seen yet).

Lastly, if anyone would be willing to proofread subsequent chapters before I post them, I'd really appreciate it.

Stay tuned, true believers!


	4. MONARCH Base, Tokyo-2

**MONARCH Base, Tokyo-2**

"At 0900 tomorrow morning, Dr. Graham and I will depart on a helicopter to Tokyo-3," Dr. Serizawa said, addressing several MONARCH personnel gathered around the illuminated table. "We will reach the city before the Angel and Gojira make landfall, and maintain a safe distance from the city center. Accompanying us will be Mr. Maki, who will transmit a live video feed of the events back to base." He indicated the technician next to him, who nodded. "We will cover the situation for as long as we can, until circumstances prove too dangerous." The doctor paused. "Are there any questions?"

A MONARCH crewmember raised her hand. "What if the helicopter runs out of fuel?"

"We'll specify that it should be stocked with two additional fuel canisters, so refueling won't be any trouble," Dr. Graham answered.

"And what if the helicopter gets damaged and can't fly back?" another concerned crewmember asked.

"Dr. Graham, Mr. Maki, the pilot, and I will all be wearing specially-made satellite transponders," Serizawa replied. "Should we become stranded, you will all know where to find us. If the transponders malfunction, we will do our best to find a way back on our own." Another pause. "Miss Katsuragi, you'll be in charge while we're gone."

Misato nodded with a serious face, but deep down wished Serizawa had picked someone else. "Understood."

Serizawa turned to look at the video screen behind him displaying the map of the coastline. His eyes darted to the two heat blooms, still many kilometers off shore. "That's all for now," he said, after briefly examining the image. The other personnel around the table, save for Graham and Misato, either returned to what they'd been doing beforehand or attended to new tasks.

Misato sighed and leaned forward, propping her elbows up on the table, before realizing that she had more or less completely forgotten about Shinji during the briefing. The boy was staring at the heat blooms on the map with a look that was a cross between calm and worry.

"How are you holding up, Shinji?" Misato asked her ward as she approached him.

Shinji turned his head to his guardian, somewhat surprised, then smiled faintly, averting his gaze. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Bored to death, huh?" Misato chuckled, placing a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "We can get out of here, if you want. I don't think I'll be needed for a while, so I can take you somewhere."

"No, it's alright…" Shinji began. "I just hope I'm not interfering or getting in the way at all."

Misato frowned. "Of course you're not, Shinji." Her grin reappeared just as quickly as it had left. "Tell you what: to show you that you're not in the way of anything, why don't we get something to eat? Something that isn't instant cooking. Maybe at a family restaurant? My treat."

Shinji was a bit hesitant to accept such a treat right away, still unaccustomed to acts of kindness like this one. Eventually, though, he nodded happily.

Misato gave the boy a pat on the back. "Great! I know this one little place- oh! Wait just a second." She then called out to Serizawa and Graham, who were looking over some notes that were probably important. "Hey, guys? If you won't be needing me for a while, Shinji and I are going to head out."

Serizawa and Graham looked back at Misato. "Alright," Serizawa said, "we'll contact you if something comes up." Graham merely nodded and smiled. The two then quickly went back to their notes. Misato grinned and turned to leave, motioning for Shinji to follow her.

* * *

><p>Ritsuko couldn't believe what she had just agreed to. Even if Unit-00 could be restored to working order in less than a day – the probability of which was extremely slim, given the unit's condition after the failed activation test – it was, structurally, improperly equipped for battle, even with external armaments. The modifications required for combat readiness would take at least a week to implement, and that was time that NERV didn't have. And, of course, there were the pilot's injuries, which were, to put it mildly, severe, rendering said pilot unable to perform to the best of her ability. If Unit-00 were going to be launched into combat, it wouldn't stand a chance against the Angel, or against the mysterious 'Gojira' that the Commander refused to elaborate upon.<p>

The blonde head scientist frowned and narrowed her eyes as she watched, through the reinforced Plexiglas window of the observation deck, NERV's technicians set to work repairing Unit-00. It wasn't her place to question the Commander's orders, she thought as she raised her e-cig to her lips. It wasn't that he knew best because he was in a position of power, but the other way around. And yet, Ritsuko had doubts. She'd had them before, but at no point were they more pronounced than now, when the stakes were raised. A creature more powerful than an Angel? The very thought of such a thing was absurd, and yet the Commander had insisted that such a being not only did exist, but also posed a threat to NERV's entire operation. Why, then, would he have not mentioned it before? Why hide something so important?

Ritsuko was, quite possibly, Gendo Ikari's most trusted accomplice. He had begged her to join NERV. He had let her into his bed. He had told her about the things that lurked within the deepest, darkest recesses of his whole operation, things that mankind was never meant to know about. He'd shown her the truth. So, why would he have kept 'Gojira' a secret from her?

The doctor grimaced, bringing a hand to her head in an attempt to soothe the sudden ache she felt. She would talk with the Commander later, after she had seen the monster for herself. Right now, she already had two monsters to deal with.

* * *

><p>At around noon, Misato and Shinji had sat down to eat at a comfortable family restaurant when something dawned on the purple-haired woman.<p>

"So, Shinji," Misato began after finishing a bite of her hamburger, "it's occurred to me that, even though we're living together, I know very little about you."

Shinji looked up from his sandwich. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Misato smiled and leaned forward. "I mean, what do you like to do for fun? What music do you listen to? What movies do you like? Stuff like that. Ah!" She snapped her fingers. "You play cello, obviously. How long have you been playing for?"

Shinji pondered for a moment. "Uh…eight years? Nine years. Since I was five."

"Wow," Misato said, legitimately impressed. "You must be pretty good at it, then!"

"Yeah…I guess." Shinji's gaze suddenly drifted downwards, the corners of his mouth moving along with it.

Misato's expression turned from one of admiration to one of concern. "What's wrong?"

Shinji sighed. "It's just that…one of the only things that Mr. Torahata ever did for me was set me up with cello lessons. But, whenever I would try to play for him, he would tell me to go away. I guess I have a sort of love-hate relationship with the cello because of that…"

Misato felt the urge to grab Shinji's hand, but decided against it, partially because her own hand still had crumbs and hamburger grease on it. "I'm sorry, Shinji…I didn't know."

"It's fine," the boy responded, his lips forming into a sad smile. "Sometimes, playing helps me to relax… Sometimes."

Misato bit her lip, trying to find the right words to say. "…well, whenever you feel like playing, I'm more than happy to listen." She put on the most reassuring face she could.

Shinji blushed slightly. "…I'd like that."

There was an embarrassed silence as Misato tried to think of another conversation topic. "So, moving on. What kinds of movies do you like? Any favorites?" This was starting to sound like an awkward date.

"I…don't watch movies that often," Shinji replied, "but I do have a few favorites. Like _2001_."

"Ah, one of the classics," Misato said. "Good taste. How about the _Star Trek_ movies? Seen any of those?"

Shinji shook his head. "I haven't."

Misato found herself grinning. "In that case, at some point you and I are going to have ourselves a little marathon."

Shinji smiled, then paused. "Misato, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!" the purple-haired woman cheerfully answered. "What is it?"

"Why did you join MONARCH?"

Misato deflated, her smile disappearing. "Oh. Well…"

"Y-you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," Shinji said, recognizing his guardian's reluctance.

"No, it's fine," Misato said. "You deserve to know." She paused to take a breath. "My father used to be a researcher for MONARCH, just like your father. Fifteen years ago, he led an expedition to Antarctica after Gojira was sighted there. He brought me along with him; I still don't understand why. Anyway, instead of Gojira, we found something else – the body of Adam, the first Angel."

Shinji's eyes went wide.

"MONARCH contacted the UN for help in studying Adam," Misato somberly continued. "Everyone thought that we were going to better the world with the research that we did. But…then Adam woke up. There was a huge explosion. Almost everybody died. But my father stayed alive long enough to protect me." She swallowed. "I was the only survivor. I spent two years recovering in a mental hospital. When I finally got out, I knew that I had to prevent something like Second Impact from ever happening again. MONARCH came to me when I was twenty-one to ask me to join, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go with them at first, but I knew that I desperately wanted Gojira to be what they said he was." Misato was quiet for a second, then sadly chuckled. "Am I making any sense?"

Shinji nodded, his heart almost finished sinking into his stomach. "I understand."

"I'm sorry," Misato sighed. "I know you already have enough on your plate as it is."

"It's fine," the boy solemnly responded. "Just… Life hurts sometimes, doesn't it?"

"It really does," the purple-haired woman said, before her lips curled upward into a faint, hopeful smile. "But you know what? It gets better. Right now, things aren't perfect, sure, but I'm happy. I have a roof over my head, a stable job…" She looked at Shinji, her smile brightening. "…and someone to live with me and keep me company."

Shinji's face practically turned beet red. "I'm…glad," he said, fidgeting. "I mean, I'm glad to be living with you, too."

Misato changed the topic before another awkward lull could manifest. "So, about tomorrow. I'm going to have to get up to leave at the crack of dawn – against my wishes – and since we have no idea how long Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham are going to be in Tokyo-3, I'm probably going to be gone for the whole day. I know, leaving you for a whole day after you just moved in doesn't really reflect well on me as a guardian, but Serizawa did leave me in charge at base. Sorry. Will you be okay on your own?"

"…actually," Shinji asked hesitantly, "do you mind if I come with you tomorrow?"

"You want to come with?" Misato said, surprised. "I mean, you can, sure, but it's going to be a really long day, and I won't be able to drive you back home if you want to leave."

"That's fine," Shinji responded, sounding just a little bit more confident. "I'd feel better being at the base with you. It'll make me feel like I'm not totally useless."

"You're not useless, Shinji," Misato said reassuringly. "But, hey, if it'll make you feel better to come along, then by all means! I just hope you won't get too bored."

"It's fine. I'll bring my music player. Worse comes to worst, I can find somewhere to take a nap."

Shinji chuckled for what was possibly the first time for Misato's ears, and the purple-haired woman felt her heart lift somewhat. Just one tiny little laugh from Shinji told her that he was actually happy.

* * *

><p>Gendo Ikari's vast office was completely barren save for a desk and an accompanying chair, both placed at the furthest possible point from the entrance. The room was shrouded in darkness; the harsh light that passed through the long, narrow windows barely illuminated anything. The floor was impeccably polished, and the ceiling reflected the ornate design of the Qabbalistic Tree of Life that embellished it. Everything about the room was sinister.<p>

The Commander sat at his desk, leaning forward a bit, his hands folded in front of his face. Next to him stood the older and taller Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, his hands behind his back.

"You can only hold back the truth for so long," the Sub-Commander said, completely still except for his lips. "People might start to have second thoughts."

"I know," the Commander replied, also still as a statue. "But once Gojira is dead, the truth won't matter – what I tell them will."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to aswilliams92 for following and favoriting, and to lord destryuk for reviewing chapter three! Sachiel makes its debut next chapter, so stay tuned!<p> 


	5. Katsuragi Apartment – The Next Morning

**Katsuragi Apartment – The Next Morning**

True to her word, Misato awoke at the crack of dawn, against her wishes. Her alarm clock came to life at 6:00 A.M., gracing her ears with the soothing melody of 'BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.' It may as well have hit her on the head with a sledgehammer. The purple-haired woman, who clearly hadn't gone to bed as early as she should have the night prior, let out a painful groan before slamming her fist down onto the reset button and rising shakily to her feet.

"Why did Serizawa have to pick _me_ to be in charge?" she softly whined aloud.

A few minutes of fumbling and groaning later, Misato exited the room, dressed and not at all ready to face the day. She dragged herself down the hall, eventually arriving at Shinji's room.

"Hey, Shinji, it's time to wake up," she called as she knocked on the door, trying to sound as pleasant as she could. "Let's…" A long yawn interrupted her thought. "…eat breakfast."

Misato drifted to the kitchen, practically colliding with the furniture on her way in. She opened the freezer drawer (not Pen-Pen's) and pulled out two pre-packaged breakfast dishes that she and Shinji had purchased the previous night at a nearby 7-11, then headed for the microwave.

Just as Misato had placed one of the instant meals in the microwave, Shinji slogged into the kitchen, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Good morning," he said weakly.

"Mornin'," Misato unenthusiastically responded. "How'd you sleep?"

"Alright, but…not enough," Shinji said, yawning on the last two words.

"Same here," Misato said with a tired smile. "Whaddya say we sleep in tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me," Shinji replied, returning the grin.

After both microwaved dishes were ready, guardian and ward ate in silence, far too exhausted to carry any sort of conversation. The quiet continued through the car ride to the MONARCH base, ending when Misato and Shinji reached the elevator in the parking garage.

"At some point," Misato said, her speech slurred a little, "I _will_ feed you something healthy. We need to go grocery shopping."

Shinji merely nodded, still dazed and confused.

"Also, we need to talk about where you're going to go to school," Misato added. "God knows I can't teach."

Once the two finally entered the base, they were relieved to see that Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham both look liked they hadn't had sufficient sleep – though the doctors' states were most likely exacerbated by mission-related anxiety. The other MONARCH crewmembers around, in contrast, were relatively awake.

"What time are you leaving for the airport?" Misato asked, ever so slowly regaining her energy.

"8:30," Graham said, rubbing her eyes with her right hand, her left occupied with a cup of coffee. "What time is it right now?"

Serizawa looked at his wristwatch. "It's 7:00. We still have time."

"Huh," Misato said, looking at Shinji, "that took less time than I thought it would. Sorry."

"It's okay," Shinji yawned, causing Misato to yawn, which caused him to yawn yet again. It was contagious. "Is there somewhere I can sit down?"

"Employee lounge is that-a-way," Misato said, pointing in the direction of the specified room. "I'm coming with you – I need caffeine." She waved to Serizawa and Graham as she headed off to the lounge with Shinji in tow. "B-R-B."

Serizawa and Graham shared a confused look, unfamiliar with text message speech.

* * *

><p>At 9:00 on the dot, Serizawa and Graham, along with the technical operative named Maki, arrived on the runway of Matsumoto Airport and quickly boarded the waiting Bell helicopter. All three, along with the helicopter pilot, then outfitted themselves with the small, boxy satellite transponders brought by Graham, and made sure that they were both turned on and affixed to each person's outermost layer of clothing. With all preliminary checks completed, the helicopter took off for Tokyo-3.<p>

Back at the MONARCH base, Misato, now fully awake thanks to a few hours' time and two or five cups of coffee, watched as four yellow dots appeared on the video screen, which showed a bird's-eye view of Tokyo-2.

"Satellite transponders have been successfully activated," a crewmember announced.

"They've taken off," another said a moment later, as the dots began to move across the screen, centimeter by centimeter. "Estimated time of arrival is 1230 hours."

Misato nodded and took a sip from her cup. "Now we wait."

* * *

><p>At around half past noon, just as predicted, the MONARCH helicopter landed in the northeast corner of Tokyo-3, in a small patch of unoccupied land, ostensibly a park. As the pilot powered down the aircraft, Serizawa and Graham exited, followed by Maki, who immediately went to the helicopter's rear storage compartment to retrieve his equipment.<p>

The doctors' jaws dropped as they laid eyes on the city.

Tokyo-3 was utterly deserted – not just devoid of people, but of buildings as well. All of the skyscrapers that once made up the city's skyline had disappeared. What had formerly been the central business district was now a completely barren, metallic expanse, and only a few clusters of two- to ten-story buildings were scattered about away from the city center.

"What…where did…?" Graham stuttered, unable to finish.

Serizawa shook his head slightly, understanding what Graham had meant. "I don't know."

* * *

><p>"Incoming video transmission from Mr. Maki," a technician reported.<p>

"Put it on screen," Misato ordered.

The video screen changed from an aerial map of the coastline to Maki's camera view of Tokyo-3.

"My God," Misato exclaimed at the sight of the city. "What happened to all the buildings?"

The purple-haired woman reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone when she felt it start to buzz. Serizawa was calling.

"Dr. Serizawa?" Misato answered.

"_Miss Katsuragi, are you seeing this?_"

"I don't believe it." Misato brushed a few stray hairs away from her face, clearing up her vision. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"_No,_" Serizawa replied. "_This may have something to do with NERV-_"

* * *

><p>Serizawa cut his response short when he heard the faintly audible boom of a distant explosion.<p>

"_…Dr. Serizawa?_" Misato said over the receiver. "_What happened?_"

"An explosion," the doctor said, trying to visually locate the source of the noise. "I- I can't see anything from here. We have to wait for the Angel to come into view. I'll call you back."

"_Right. We'll see it through the video feed. Be careful._"

Serizawa nodded, even though Misato couldn't see him, and hung up, just in time to hear another distant boom, followed by several more, their volume gradually increasing.

After a minute, the Angel finally appeared.

* * *

><p>Misato gasped, raising a hand to her mouth, as the screen zoomed in on the Angel. It stood at least forty meters in height, vaguely humanoid in shape but with elongated forelimbs, three-clawed hands, and no discernable head or neck. It was dark green in color, with bone-colored structures protruding from various points on its body. A peculiar face resembling a bird skull rested just above a spherical red jewel in the center of its torso.<p>

Shinji was stricken with terror as he watched the monster lumber into view. Two days ago, he would never have thought that such a horrifying thing could have existed, and even now he could barely believe his eyes.

Several UN VTOLs surrounded the Angel from the air, each unloading a barrage of machine gun and missile fire at their target. However, the bullets deflected off of the giant creature, and the missiles exploded in midair before they made impact, leaving behind a floating yellow concentric octagonal pattern.

"A force field," Misato realized. "It's using a force field!"

The monster raised one of its arms and fired a brilliant red beam of energy from its hand, using it to send an unfortunate VTOL crashing to the ground. Almost everyone in the room gasped in shock.

"The armed forces don't stand a chance," Misato grimly remarked. "Damn it!"

* * *

><p>Serizawa, Graham, Maki, and the helicopter pilot watched in awe as the Angel continued its rampage across Tokyo-3, completely invulnerable to any sort of fire. Over the hills flew surface-to-air missiles that would have brought down any normal target, but merely destructed against the Angel's force field. A particularly large missile, launched from a nearby bomber, further yielded no results, as the creature stopped it with a massive clawed hand, the force of the grip causing the missile to tear down the middle into three pieces before exploding.<p>

The Angel continued to head north through the city, moving slowly and occasionally swatting another VTOL out of the sky. While collateral damage was minimal, given that most of the city had mysteriously disappeared, it was nonetheless still present; black smoke rose from various points across the landscape, and the flicker of flames was slightly visible along with it. Tokyo-3 had become a veritable warzone underneath a sunny blue sky.

As the MONARCH crew watched the Angel for the next fifteen minutes or so, the monster nearing perilously close to their position, they noticed that the VTOLs were, in fact, leading it on, vaguely in the direction of Mt. Takanosu.

When the Angel reached the foot of the mountain, out of view, and the aircraft immediately dispersed, Serizawa realized why.

"Everyone get down!" the doctor cried, just before a blinding white light shone in the distance. Not even a second later, a massive explosion, at least a kilometer high, rose into the heavens, causing the earth to tremble and sending massive shockwaves in every direction – including the direction of the MONARCH personnel. The tremendous force almost instantly flipped the helicopter over, sending it spinning through the air and colliding into both Maki and the pilot, killing them instantly. Serizawa and Graham dropped to the ground, just barely escaping the tumbling aircraft, but far from safe.

* * *

><p>Misato and Shinji simultaneously cried out as the video feed and transponder signals went dead.<p>

* * *

><p>"Well, Ikari, it looks like you won't be getting a shot at it," one of the UN officers haughtily declared from his seat in the Command Center, looking back at the Commander. Throughout the Control Room were cheers of triumph. The N2 Mine had destroyed the Angel.<p>

Were one able to see the stoic Commander Ikari's expression through his reflective glasses and folded hands, it might have come across as one of surprise. Fuyutsuki seemed equally impressed as he stood by the Commander's side.

"Shockwave approaching," a technician announced, before the video screen and the holographic map cut to static.

* * *

><p>Misato trembled, a look of pure horror on her face. Her hands fell to her sides as her heart sank.<p>

Shinji merely stayed still, mouth hanging open, eyes wide with shock. "They…they can't be…"

Misato took Shinji's hand as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Please, let them be okay," she whimpered.

* * *

><p>"What's the status of the target?" another of the UN officers demanded.<p>

"We're unable to confirm," the technician replied. "The EMP knocked everything out."

"It must be dead!" yet another officer declared. "It took the full blast!"

"External sensors restored," a second technician said as the holographic map reappeared, focused on the massive crater in place where the Angel had been.

Suddenly, a huge spike shot up from the digital terrain.

"Energy readings at the epicenter!" the first technician cried.

The third UN officer shot out of his seat. "It can't be!"

"External cameras online," the second technician announced. The video screen cut from static to an image of the Angel standing in the midst of a crater, injured but alive.

"No!" cried the other two officers, standing up almost immediately.

The Angel's face had nearly been ripped off by the blast, forced to the side of its 'head.' However, a new, nearly identical face was growing in the place of the old one. Other than this injury and a few pustules and boils on its skin, the Angel was intact.

"That was our last resort," the first UN officer declared, collapsing into his seat.

"No effect at all," the second lamented, also sitting down.

"It's a demon!" the third shouted, pounding the desk in front of him.

* * *

><p>In the midst of her sobbing, Misato felt another buzz come from her pocket. A glimmer of hope returning to her face, she quickly picked up the call from Dr. Serizawa's phone.<p>

"Doctor?!" There was tremendous panic in her voice.

"_Miss Katsuragi!_" Serizawa answered. "_Vivienne and I are alright._"

"Thank God!" Misato thought that she was going to burst into tears of relief, until she realized that Serizawa had only mentioned Graham. "What about the pilot and Maki?"

"_…they didn't make it,_" the doctor said after a solemn pause.

Misato took a deep, remorseful breath, exhaling just as the static disappeared and the video feed came back along with the transponder signals. The camera was lying on its side on the ground, its lens cracked and flecked with dirt.

"And the Angel?" Misato asked the doctor, wiping her eyes.

"_We don't know,_" Serizawa replied. "_We can't see anything from here._"

"I'll send for another helicopter," Misato said.

"_Not yet,_" Serizawa said. "_Wait until we can confirm that the Angel is dead._"

Misato anxiously bit her lip.

"…alright."

* * *

><p>"As we suspected," Fuyutsuki said, "it's regenerating itself."<p>

"Without that ability, it couldn't operate without support units," Gendo added.

The video screen had switched to an aerial view of the Angel, taken from the camera of a VTOL. Already, the blemishes on the monster's body had mostly healed.

A bright light glinted off of the Angel before the camera cut to static. The aircraft had been shot down.

"Well, quite impressive," Fuyutsuki remarked. "It can upgrade its operational parameters."

"And it's also getting smarter," Gendo said, a tinge of venom in his voice.

"It should renew its attack any minute now."

"We're picking up some rogue signals to the northeast of the city," the first technician reported. "Unregistered outgoing satellite transmissions."

"Interesting…" Gendo mused. "Send a security detail to investigate while the Angel recovers."

* * *

><p>Graham covered her mouth at the sight of the burnt, lacerated bodies of both Maki and the helicopter pilot. Serizawa, his call to Misato over, soon came to his protégé's side, allowing her to bury her face in his shoulder.<p>

"I can't believe this," Graham lamented. "We couldn't have predicted…"

"There's nothing we can do now," Serizawa sadly responded. "We can't give them a proper burial here. We need to see if the Angel's still alive, and then call in another helicopter."

Graham pulled away from her mentor and nodded in agreement. "Right."

"Hey, you there!" a gruff voice called out from behind the two doctors. "The city is in a state of emergency! Why aren't you in a shelter?"

Serizawa and Graham turned, immediately freezing when they saw that the uniformed security guards who had found them were carrying weapons.

"Want to tell me what you're doing out here in the middle of a warzone?" the gruff-voiced head guard said, cradling a submachine gun in his hands. He then noticed the wreckage of the helicopter and the bodies of Maki and the pilot. "What's all this?"

"The satellite transmissions are coming from them," said one of the other guards, a tracking device in his hand.

The head guard noticed the transponders on Serizawa's and Graham's clothes, and approached the two doctors, raising the barrel of his weapon. "Put your hands up. You're coming with us."

* * *

><p>The yellow dots on the screen disappeared, indicating that the transponders had once again cut out.<p>

"Damn it, again?" Misato said, before redialing Serizawa's phone. The doctor did not answer.

* * *

><p>Several minutes after being stripped of the satellite transponders, their phones, and their personal identification, Serizawa and Graham had been taken below ground, into the NERV complex, and were now confined to a barren holding cell. The room was much colder than expected, and the two doctors found themselves shivering slightly.<p>

The door to the cell opened, and in stepped Gendo Ikari, accompanied by an armed guard. The former MONARCH member had aged considerably well in the fifteen years since his split from the organization. He now had a full beard and fine wrinkles around his steely eyes, which were hidden behind his sinister-looking glasses. Moreover, Serizawa and Graham were utterly surprised at the change in character they saw in Gendo. Gone was the philanthropic researcher who had once been so valued for his optimism and forward thinking; in his place was a cold, calculating man without a hint of mercy in his face.

"Dr. Serizawa, Dr. Graham," the Commander said, deliberately pausing, "it's been a long time. What are you doing in Tokyo-3 in the midst of such a crisis?"

"Ikari," Serizawa began, "Gojira is coming. He's chasing the Angel."

The Commander adjusted his glasses. "I'm well aware of that, Doctor. What I wasn't aware of was that you and Ryoji Kaji have been in correspondence, and conspiring to prevent NERV from contacting the Third Child."

Serizawa and Graham shared an expression of dread.

"You should clear your phone's inbox more often, Doctor. I had suspected there was a double agent in our organization, but I had no idea just how close to the inner circle he was."

The Commander brushed his jacket aside to reveal a shoulder holster for a handgun, one that he promptly pulled out, cocked, and aimed directly at Graham's head.

"Tell me everything MONARCH knows about NERV," he said threateningly, "or I pull the trigger."

* * *

><p>Misato's phone buzzed to life again, and the purple-haired woman answered promptly upon seeing that Serizawa was calling.<p>

"Doctor?" she answered.

"_Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham are currently our prisoners,_" an ominous voice said. "_Hand over Shinji Ikari to NERV, or else they will remain in our custody indefinitely._"

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to Mr. IaA, kingkaino1, and The Voices In Your Head for favoriting, to jboy44 for following, to Imperceptus Ingenium for following <em>and<em> favoriting, to lord destryuk for reviewing chapter four, and to myulander for following, favoriting, AND reviewing chapter one! And thanks to everyone for over a thousand views!


	6. MONARCH Base, Tokyo-2 (II)

**MONARCH Base, Tokyo-2**

"W-who is this?!" Misato questioned, trembling slightly.

"_That is irrelevant, Miss Katsuragi,_" the ominous voice over the phone replied. "_Where is he now?_"

"Like I'd tell you!" Misato nervously darted her eyes over to Shinji. "You're not laying a hand on him!"

"_Let me be clear, Miss Katsuragi,_" the voice continued. "_If you do not surrender the boy over to NERV within the next two hours, you might never see Doctors Serizawa and Graham again. Call this number when you are ready to agree to our terms._"

"Now you listen-" was all Misato could say before the person on the other end unceremoniously hung up. The purple-haired woman nearly threw her phone to the ground in anger. "Damn it!"

"What is it?" Shinji asked with concern. "What's wrong?"

Misato brought a hand to her forehead and anxiously sighed. "That was NERV. They want us to turn you over to them, or else…they're going to keep Serizawa and Graham as their prisoners."

"What?" Shinji's eyes went wide. "How do they know I'm here?"

"They must have gone through Dr. Serizawa's emails," Misato guessed. "They called me on his phone, after all." Her brow furrowed. "That means Kaji must have been compromised, too…"

"I don't understand," Shinji said after a brief pause, his shoulders tensing. "What does NERV want with me?"

Misato leaned back against a desk behind her, unable to keep standing for long due to shock. "They need you and you alone to pilot Evangelion. They're serious about it…" She turned to look at her ward. "But don't worry, Shinji. We're not going to hand you over to NERV."

"But what about Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham?" Shinji asked.

"We'll find a way to get them back, somehow," Misato said. "Somehow…"

Shinji didn't quite understand the feeling that came over him in the ensuing seconds. It forced his stomach to twist into a knot and his heart to pound faster, and made the blood drain from his face. It drove him to say something he thought he'd never say.

"No."

"…'no'?" Misato repeated, confused.

"Serizawa and Graham can't stay imprisoned," Shinji said, looking Misato directly in the face. "If NERV will let them go if I agree to pilot-"

"Shinji, no," Misato interrupted. "You don't have to give in to NERV's demands. We'll find another way to get Serizawa and Graham out."

"What if we don't?" the boy said. "What if turning me over is our only option?"

"It's not the only option," Misato retorted. "It can't be. We just need time to think…"

"Is NERV giving us any time?" Shinji asked.

"Two hours," Misato said grimly. "That's-"

"That's not enough." Shinji's voice echoed a slight increase in confidence, even if the boy was still afraid at the prospect of piloting a weapon against a giant monster. "Misato, I don't think we have a choice. You have to turn me over."

Misato's eyes narrowed. "No, Shinji. You're not a soldier. You could get hurt – maybe even die! Why do you want to put yourself in harm's way?"

"I don't want to," Shinji immediately responded. "But if it means that Serizawa and Graham will go free, then I'll do it. No, I _have_ to do it."

Misato bit her lip. As the seconds ticked by, she thought more and more about how difficult it would be to get Serizawa and Graham back from NERV. NERV wouldn't so easily compromise, and MONARCH had no sort of military force to perform a rescue mission. She hated to admit it, but it looked like handing Shinji over _was_ the only option. But she wouldn't allow it. She had promised that she would protect the boy, and she wasn't going to let danger befall him.

"I'm not going to turn you over to NERV, Shinji," she declared. "I won't let you get hurt."

"Misato, please!" Shinji said, raising his voice. "I've spent my life running away and not taking responsibility for anything. But now I have the chance to actually do something, to help someone. I have to help Serizawa and Graham. There's no other way."

Misato raised a hand to her mouth as she silently gasped. She could see a fiery determination in the boy's eyes. She could see that he was seriously willing to sacrifice his protection from NERV to help two people he'd only recently met. He was, for what may have been the first time in his life, given a purpose, and he was ready to act on it.

"Are you sure?" Misato quietly asked after a moment's pause.

Shinji hesitated, but finally nodded. "Yes."

"…alright," Misato finally conceded. "But I'm coming with you."

Shinji was taken aback. "What?"

"If you're going, so am I. I'll make sure that nothing bad happens to you." A faint grin crept across the purple-haired woman's face. "I'll be your guardian angel."

"Misato, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do, Shinji," Misato interrupted. "Friends look out for each other."

The boy felt his heat start to beat even faster, his cheeks reddening. "…we're…friends?"

"Of course, Shinji," Misato replied. "And that means I've got your back. I mean, we _do_ live together, y'know."

Shinji nervously fidgeted and tilted his head downwards, looking up at Misato. "…I've…never really had any friends before."

Misato looked surprised, but then smiled reassuringly. "Well, you've got one now."

* * *

><p>Gendo picked up Serizawa's buzzing phone not more than a minute later.<p>

"_We'll hand Shinji over,_" Misato said over the line. "_But I'm coming with him._"

"And why is that?" the Commander inquired.

"_I'm his guardian, and I'm responsible for his safety._"

"I assure you that Shinji will be in safe hands."

"_And I don't trust you enough to let him go by himself. I'm coming whether you like it or not._"

"…understood. Tell us where you'll be and we'll send a VTOL to pick you up."

* * *

><p>After leaving another MONARCH crewmember in charge at the base, Misato departed with Shinji and returned to her apartment to pick up Pen Pen. She didn't know just how long she and Shinji would be gone, and didn't want to leave her pet alone. For the sake of convenience, she had told the mysterious person over the phone to have her picked up near her apartment, at a small park within walking distance.<p>

The VTOL touched down just shy of ten minutes after Misato, Shinji, and Pen Pen had arrived at the arranged location. Once the aircraft landed, its rear hatch opened, and out stepped a thin, tall man, clad in a black trench coat, who proceeded to approach the three.

"NERV operations director, Mitsuo Katagiri," the man introduced himself to Shinji, raising his voice over the noise of the VTOL's engines. "You must be Shinji Ikari."

Shinji merely nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable under Katagiri's steely gaze.

Katagiri turned to Misato. "And you're his guardian?"

"That's right," Misato said, resolutely. "Misato Katsuragi."

"Come aboard." Katagiri motioned for Shinji and Misato to follow him to the aircraft, oddly not batting an eye at the strange animal that Misato carried in her arms. "You'll be briefed on the situation once we're _en route_ to Tokyo-3."

Misato and Shinji obliged Katagiri, and seconds later had entered the VTOL and buckled into two of the rather uncomfortable seats that lined each side of its interior. Pen Pen sat on Misato's lap, still in her grip. Katagiri sat opposite the three, while a few security guards were located closer to the front of the aircraft. Once the rear door closed, the VTOL took off with a start, causing Misato, Shinji, and Pen Pen to yelp (or squawk, in Pen Pen's case).

Katagiri was completely unfazed by the takeoff, and grinned somewhat, amused by Misato's and Shinji's inexperienced reaction. He reached for a hardcover handbook that lay next to him, and handed it across to Shinji. "This primer contains important information. Please read it carefully."

Shinji hesitantly took the pamphlet. The cover read 'Welcome to NERV,' and the book was sealed by a thin, wraparound piece of tape that read 'For your eyes only.' Shinji frowned nervously as he broke the tape and opened the pamphlet. He felt closer to danger than ever before, and was having second thoughts about agreeing to NERV's demands. As soon as these thoughts flared up, however, he tried to banish them from his mind. Serizawa and Graham were in trouble, and he wanted to help. He had to.

Misato held Pen Pen tightly as she watched Shinji read the sensitive materials. She didn't need to read them for herself, as she already knew enough about NERV from Kaji's correspondences with Dr. Serizawa. An asshole though he was, Kaji provided MONARCH with invaluable information. God only knew what NERV would do to him once he returned to Japan.

When the VTOL landed less than half an hour after takeoff, Misato and Shinji had no idea just where in Tokyo-3 they were – or if they were even in Tokyo-3 at all. They became even more confused when they felt the ground beneath the aircraft begin to slowly fall. A loud, deep whirring noise accompanied their descent.

"An elevator?" Misato exclaimed.

"NERV Headquarters is located several hundred meters underground," Katagiri explained. "This lift is one of the only access points for aircraft. We'll be exiting shortly."

Not even a minute later, the elevator slowed and came to a stop. As the rear door of the VTOL opened, a blinding yellow light bled into the cabin, causing everyone on board to avert his or her eyes. Misato and Shinji quickly adjusted to the brightness, however, and undid their seatbelts, then exited the aircraft with Pen Pen in tow.

Their jaws dropped once they saw where they were.

The VTOL had arrived on the outskirts of an utterly immense, dome-shaped GeoFront, almost one kilometer in height and six kilometers in diameter. Perilously hanging from the center of the cavern's ceiling was a cluster of upside-down skyscrapers – the same skyscrapers that had once made up Tokyo-3's skyline. Sunlight from the surface world somehow filtered down into the cave, creating an artificial sky. The floor of the cavern, meanwhile, was mostly covered in trees, with a large artificial lake to the north and a considerable slope to the south. At the very center was a metallic, pyramidal structure, presumably the NERV Headquarters building.

"Welcome to NERV Central," Katagiri announced as he exited the VTOL, passing the shocked Misato, Shinji, and Pen Pen. He headed for an oddly shaped black vehicle that had been waiting for the disembarked aircraft passengers. "This shuttle will take us to the main building, where the Eva cages are."

Misato and Shinji snapped out of their wide-eyed stares of astonishment at the GeoFront.

"Eva cages?" Shinji repeated.

"The holding cells for the Evangelion." Katagiri turned. "'Evas' for short."

Misato and Shinji shared a worried look before following Katagiri to the shuttle.

A brief ride to the pyramidal building and several hallways later, Katagiri, Misato, Shinji, and Pen Pen boarded a small, open-air lift that went a very long way up. Alongside the elevator was a massive tank containing hundreds of tons of a mysterious pink liquid. As the four ascended, Misato and Shinji caught a glimpse of a strange, dark shape within the tank.

"Excuse me, but what's this?" Shinji asked Katagiri, motioning to the tank.

"This is the cage for Eva Unit-01 – the unit you'll be piloting," Katagiri replied. "The liquid is coolant. The Eva is large, so it requires a substantial cooling system."

Once the elevator reached its stopping point some minutes later, the foursome had to navigate another, thankfully shorter series of hallways to reach the entrance of the tank. A small hovercraft was tethered to a dock a few meters away from where Katagiri, Misato, and Shinji stood. Closer to where the three stood, a white lab coat and a pair of black high-heeled shoes lay on the ground.

The tank's surface churned slightly as a blonde scuba diver surfaced and clambered onto the dock. She removed her flippers and air tank, and set them aside before unzipping her wetsuit. In the midst of peeling herself out of the skintight garment, revealing a one-piece swimsuit underneath, the diver noticed that others were present, and turned to face them, only to gasp in shock at the sight of one. She then quickly removed her diving mask, exposing her emerald green eyes and a mole on her left cheek.

"Misato?"

Misato's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and her jaw almost dropped to the floor.

"Ritsuko?!"

The purple-haired woman quickly set Pen Pen down and ran toward Ritsuko, while the blonde quickly slipped out of the rest of her wetsuit and tossed it aside. Ritsuko barely made it three steps before Misato virtually slammed into her and drew her into a tight embrace.

"Oh my God, Rits!" Misato exclaimed, not caring that she'd just gotten her clothes a bit wet with the liquid on Ritsuko's body. "It's been so long!"

"Misato!" Ritsuko cried out. "Wait…what are you doing here?"

Misato pulled back from the hug to look her old friend in the face. "I'm here with- oh." She frowned as she suddenly remembered just what she was there for. "I'm here with Shinji Ikari. The kid that NERV wants to pilot Evangelion."

Ritsuko's eyes widened. "How do you know about Evangelion?"

"Long story," Misato answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Basically-"

Misato's sentence was cut short when Katagiri spoke up. "Dr. Akagi," he said after grabbing the blonde's attention, "this is Shinji Ikari, the Third Child." He indicated the boy, who nodded.

Ritsuko turned her attention to Shinji, then back to Misato. "We'll have to catch up later," she solemnly said to her friend. "Right now, I need to speak with the Third Child."

"Ritsuko," Misato said worriedly, grabbing a hold of Ritsuko's arm, "please, let me pilot instead of him. He's just a kid; he's not a soldier."

Ritsuko froze for a few seconds, wondering just how Misato knew so much classified information, then gloomily looked down at the floor and sighed. "I'm sorry, Misato, but that's not my decision to make. It's the Commander's. Besides, only children can pilot the Evas. We haven't had successful tests with adults."

Before Misato could make a counter-argument, Ritsuko had moved away, donned her lab coat and shoes, and approached the anxious Shinji. "I'm Ritsuko Akagi, the chair of Project E," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you, Shinji Ikari."

"Uh…sure!" was all Shinji could utter.

"He knows about the Evas as well," Katagiri said. "As it turns out, Ryoji Kaji has been working as a double agent for an organization called MONARCH."

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes as she looked over her shoulder at nothing in particular. "That son of a bitch." She then looked back at Shinji, adopting a slightly calmer expression. "Shinji, if you'll please come with me, I'll show you to your Eva- is that a penguin?"

The scientist's gaze was suddenly drawn to Pen Pen, who squawked in response to her question.

Ritsuko blinked, confused, but then shook her head. "…whatever. As I was saying, I'll show you to the Eva." She turned around to leave, and made her way to the hovercraft, the others following close behind.

The short hovercraft ride led the company to a small flight of stairs, which in turn led everyone to a darkened room. Once Ritsuko had closed the door behind them, there was nothing but pitch black.

"Hey!" Misato exclaimed. "Who turned out all the lights?"

The lights in the room switched on, and Misato, Shinji, and Pen Pen almost screamed when they saw a giant face staring back at them. They calmed down quickly, however, upon realizing just what the monstrosity before them was.

The Evangelion was mostly purple in color, with a set of blue jaws, some green and orange highlights located at various points on its body, and piercing yellow eyes with three red stripes positioned around each socket. Both its shoulders were topped with a large, angular pylon and locked into a wall on either side of its body. Its wide, frilled skull and the long, flat horn atop its head made it look almost dinosaurian in appearance.

"…so, this is the Eva," Shinji remarked, astounded.

"That's right," Ritsuko said. "This is man's ultimate fighting machine – the synthetic life form known as Evangelion Unit-01. Built here in secret, it is mankind's last hope."

Shinji's shoulders lowered. "…is it?" he muttered under his breath.

"I suppose you already know that you're meant to pilot it," Ritsuko continued.

"Yes," Shinji responded. "But…why me?"

"The Marduk Institute," Ritsuko lied. "A special organization, supervised by NERV, tasked with selecting candidates for piloting the Evas. It chose you, Shinji."

Shinji mulled this revelation over for a second, before his mind wandered to a more important topic. "I need to speak with my father. Where is he?"

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

Shinji, Misato, Pen Pen, Katagiri, and Ritsuko all looked up at the sound of Commander Ikari's voice. The Commander himself stood on a platform that hung just above Unit-01's head, staring down at his son with a merciless gaze.

"It's been a while."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to the anonymous reviewer of chapter five, as well as lord destryuk for his review! Also, thanks to DrKnives and artifactBC for following, and to TheSilentWarden for favoriting! And thanks to everyone for over 1500 views! The next chapter is going to be the most exciting yet!<p>

Also, if you like, please check out an _Evangelion_ one shot of mine, _In Vino Veritas_, which I wrote as a breather in between chapters five and six. Later!


	7. NERV HQ, Tokyo-3 – Eva Cages

**NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3 – Eva Cages**

"Father," Shinji began, his eyes hesitantly meeting with Gendo's, "I came here, just like you wanted. Where are Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham?"

"In a holding cell," Gendo answered from high above Unit-01. "Under close supervision."

Shinji balled his hands up into fists. "Let them go, and I'll agree to pilot the Eva."

"Wait," Misato said, stepping forward. "Mr. Ikari, please, there has to be another way. Shinji shouldn't have to be put into harm's way. Why can't I pilot the Eva in his place?"

"The Evas are not compatible with adult pilots, Miss Katsuragi," the Commander said in a condescending tone. "And even if they were, I wouldn't trust them to anyone affiliated with MONARCH."

Misato scowled at the elder Ikari, ready to verbally lash out, but quickly calmed herself when Shinji's hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Misato," the boy said reassuringly. "I'll be fine, I promise." He then turned back to his father, this time with a more confident expression. "Let Serizawa and Graham go, and I'll do whatever you need me to do."

The Commander was still for a moment before raising his arm and speaking into the small radio transceiver in his hand. "Deliver the prisoners to Unit-01's cage."

A muffled 'Yes, sir!' came over the transceiver's speaker.

Gendo brought his arm down. "They'll be here shortly."

Shinji nodded. "Alright. Now, what am I supposed to do?"

Ritsuko approached Shinji from behind. "Simple. All we need you to do is sit in the cockpit and listen to the instructions we give you."

Shinji swallowed anxiously. "I can do that…I think."

"Don't worry," Ritsuko said. "We'll take it as slow as we can."

"You'll be assisted in battle by another Eva, Unit-00," Katagiri added. "I'll be coordinating your offensive maneuvers."

Shinji looked up at his father again, his thoughts drowning out Katagiri's words. Gendo faced to his right, observing a series of screens that tiled the wall of his platform.

"Fuyutsuki," the Commander said.

One of the screens changed to an image of the Sub-Commander. "_Yes, sir?_"

"Wake up Rei."

"_Understood._" Fuyutsuki left the frame, and the screen switched to text that read 'Sound only.'

"Rei," Gendo said.

"_Yes?_" a raspy, feminine voice answered.

"You will pilot Unit-00 and accompany Unit-01 into battle against the Angel."

"_Yes, sir,_" the voice replied.

Shinji's focus on his father was interrupted when the doors to the room opened, and a disheveled Serizawa and Graham entered, accompanied by a security guard.

Upon spying the two doctors, Misato immediately ran to them, calling out their names. Once she reached them, she wrapped her arms around them both, practically weeping for joy.

Serizawa and Graham weakly hugged back and smiled until Shinji approached, at which point the mood became graver.

"Shinji, I'm sorry," Serizawa lamented, slipping out from Misato's embrace. "Your father threatened to kill Dr. Graham. I…I had to tell him everything."

"It's fine," Shinji said with a sad smile. "The important thing is that you're safe now."

"But that means that you agreed to pilot…" Graham cut herself off once she noticed Unit-01. "My God." Shinji, Misato, and Serizawa all looked in the same direction, towards the monster.

"I asked if I could pilot instead," Misato sorrowfully noted. "…it didn't work."

Serizawa's gaze drifted to the Commander atop his platform, and narrowed.

"Ikari!" the doctor angrily called out to Gendo. "Do you realize what you're doing? He's your son, for God's sake!"

"Sometimes, doctor," Katagiri said, "the only way victory can be achieved is through sacrifice."

Ritsuko furrowed her brow. As true as the Captain's motto was, the way he said it was unsettling. Every time he uttered it, she felt her heart sink a little.

Serizawa barely paid any attention to Katagiri, and resumed shouting at Gendo. "There has to be another way, Ikari! Gojira-"

"Gojira is a threat to NERV, doctor," Gendo retorted, "and we will defeat him."

Ritsuko frowned. There it was again. The name 'Gojira.'

"…Commander…" she began, only to be cut off by an announcement from unseen loudspeakers.

"_Attention all personnel: Report to battle stations._"

"The Angel's on the move again," Katagiri said.

Ritsuko turned to Shinji. "Shinji, come with me. We need to get you prepped."

Shinji began to follow the blonde as she walked away, only to be stopped by Misato, who gave him a tight hug from behind.

"Be careful out there, Shinji," the purple-haired woman said softly. "I'll take you out to dinner to celebrate your victory."

Shinji slowly spun around and returned Misato's hug. "You already bought me lunch yesterday," the boy said with a slight chuckle. "But thank you."

Misato released her ward in order to give him a reassuring smile and a pat on the head.

"Go get 'em, kid."

* * *

><p>Minutes later, the thousands of tons of pink coolant quickly drained from Unit-01's holding area to parts unseen. Ritsuko had, at some point, changed into more appropriate attire - a sleeveless shirt, a simple skirt, and stockings, in addition to the lab coat and high heels.<p>

"Cage now in position for docking," a technician announced from the Control Room.

"Signal plug terminator now being ejected," Maya said from her seat in the Command Center, with Ritsuko and Katagiri behind her.

"Roger," the technician replied. "Inserting entry plug_._"

A series of panels on the back of Unit-01's neck opened up, revealing a circular slot for the Eva's entry plug – a thin, cylindrical container in which the cockpit was located. The plug itself was suspended over the Eva, held in place by a large robotic arm. At the technician's command, the arm lowered and released the plug, letting it slide into the hole.

"Plug locked in place."

The panels on Unit-01's neck closed up.

"Connecting Unit-01," a second technician said.

From inside the rather comfortable cockpit, Shinji blinked as a series of bright colors flashed before him. He was still in his street clothes, but also sported a headband with two white protrusions on top – an 'interface headset,' as Ritsuko had called it, supposedly used to strengthen the pilot's connection with the Eva.

"Filling the entry plug," Maya said.

Shinji heard a strange gurgling noise coming from below, and looked down at his feet. A thick, translucent yellow-orange fluid was rapidly flooding the cockpit.

"W-what is this stuff?!" he cried out.

Panicked, the boy held his breath as the liquid rose above his head.

"Don't worry," Ritsuko said to Shinji. "Once your lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly. You'll get used to it."

Shinji exhaled, and nearly gagged. The viscous fluid tasted a lot like blood.

"I…I'm gonna be sick."

Shinji's queasiness subsided as the cockpit walls vanished in a brilliant display of colors and patterns. Once the rather nifty lightshow ended, the cockpit became transparent, allowing Shinji to see through the eyes of the Eva.

Outside the cockpit, another robotic arm inserted a large cable into Unit-01's back.

"Connecting main power," the first technician said.

"All circuits transmitting," the second announced.

"Roger," Ritsuko replied.

"Connecting secondary contact," Maya said. "A-10 nerve connection normal."

"Configure the language logic interface for Japanese," Ritsuko ordered.

"All preliminary contacts established," a third technician said. "Performance: nominal."

"Bidirectional circuits are open," Maya reported. "Synchronization ratio at 41.3 percent."

"Amazing!" Ritsuko remarked.

"Harmonics seem to be normal," Maya continued. "I see no disturbances."

Ritsuko spun around to face Katagiri. "Let's do it!"

Katagiri nodded. "Begin launch sequence!"

"Beginning launch sequence!" the first technician affirmed. A series of commands from various operators followed, and the mechanical restraints on the Eva, except for two on its back, unlocked themselves and moved out of the way along with the robotic arms.

"Move Unit-01 to the launch pad," Maya ordered.

Unit-01 lurched backward as the platform it stood on moved along a slanted track, eventually stopping just underneath a long, vertical tunnel that led to the surface of Tokyo-3. A set of rails, the same width apart as the two structures on the Eva's back, indicated the path that the biomechanical monster would ride to the top. Several doors within the tunnel opened, and the red light at the entrance switched to green.

"Launch pad clear; all systems green," Maya announced.

"Evangelion, ready for launch!" Ritsuko declared.

"Understood," Katagiri said. "Eva, launch!"

Shinji was completely unprepared for the sudden force that propelled the Eva upwards like a ballistic missile. As he tightly squeezed the grips on his control console, the boy failed to choke back a scream. The structures locked to Unit-01's back rode the electrified rails of the tunnel, and the Eva itself ascended to the surface in mere seconds. Shinji jolted forward, nearly becoming a victim of whiplash, as the Eva came to a halt.

In the Control Room, the large video screen displayed the image of Unit-01 rising above the buildings of Tokyo-3.

"Final safety locks, release!" Katagiri shouted. "Evangelion Unit-01, move out!"

The locks on Unit-01's back retracted, allowing the Eva to hunch forward in a more natural stance.

"Shinji," Ritsuko calmly said to Unit-01's pilot, "just concentrate on walking for now."

Shinji anxiously croaked, still recovering from his ascent, as he tried to concentrate on the image of Unit-01 walking. Slowly, the Eva moved its right foot forward to take a step.

A sudden flash of light, followed by a massive explosion just to Unit-01's right, took Shinji completely by surprise and made him lose concentration. The Eva tripped mid-stride and crashed to the ground.

The blast also sent tremors throughout the GeoFront, causing the Control Room to shake. On the video screen, a huge, glowing cross shape marked the point where the explosion had occurred.

"What just happened?" Katagiri said as calmly as he could.

"The Angel's attacking Unit-01!" Shigeru Aoba, one of the three Command Center technicians, replied. "It's using a long-range attack!"

"Shinji!" Ritsuko cried out. "Are you alright? You need to get up, quickly!" She then addressed Maya in a desperate tone. "What's Rei's status?"

"Rei still hasn't reached her Eva," Maya responded. "She's too injured to move. She won't be able to get into the entry plug!"

"The Angel's moving!" Shigeru exclaimed. "It's headed straight for Unit-01!"

Ritsuko's eyes widened. "Oh, no… Shinji, hurry and get up!"

Shinji thrashed about in his seat, trying to get Unit-01 to stand back up, but to no avail.

"Come on, come on!" he grunted, pulling at the control console grips. "How do I make this thing stand up?!"

Shinji went silent when he saw the Angel come into view. The monster landed in the streets after leaping an impressive distance, assisted by its force field in making the jump. It then ominously turned and stared at the Eva, its black, soulless eyes meeting with Shinji's gaze. The boy shrunk back in his seat and froze, utterly terrified.

Then, he noticed something strange. The streets were beginning to flood with water.

The Angel seemed to find this event strange as well, and stopped in its tracks to curiously look down at the water running over its feet.

Shinji quickly turned his head to see where all the water was coming from, and almost screamed at the alarming sight before him.

In the Command Center, the image on the video screen caused Ritsuko to nearly collapse to the ground as she staggered backwards in shock. Maya brought her hands to her mouth and gasped loudly. Beads of cold sweat dotted Shigeru's forehead, and Makoto nearly fell out of his chair. Katagiri's mouth hung slightly open in astonishment. Gendo and Fuyutsuki remained as still and stoic as ever, for they knew just what – _who_ – had arrived.

At last, _he_ had come.

"…w-what the hell is that thing?!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

"That," Gendo said, "is Gojira."

The monster stood at least 100 meters tall from head to foot, and measured more than 200 meters from snout to tail. His thick, powerful legs supported an even thicker torso, and his muscular arms ended in clawed, four-fingered hands. His charcoal skin, still dripping with seawater, was scaly, rough, and horrifically scarred, covered in gruesome burn wounds from decades earlier. Rows of jagged, bony spines ran along his back, from the nape of his neck to the tip of his long, whip-like tail. Atop a stout throat, lined with a set of gills, was a scowling reptilian head, with a mouth full of sharp, ragged teeth, and fiery yellow eyes.

Gojira inhaled deeply before bellowing a mighty, deafening roar that echoed through the night like the cry of angry god of war.

In response, the Angel set off another cross-shaped explosion just underneath where Gojira stood.

The titanic saurian howled in agony as the immense heat seared his tough hide. Blindly, he charged in the Angel's general direction, lashing out with his claws and teeth. The Angel quickly stepped out of Gojira's path, and raised its clawed hands to fire the red energy blasts from its palms. The blasts directly struck Gojira in his side, unable to pierce his skin but still inflicting a great deal of pain.

After retracting the beams into its arms, the Angel leapt towards Gojira, assisted by its force field, with its arms raised to deliver a powerful strike.

It was quickly interrupted, however, when the larger monster's tail collided with its torso, effectively smashing its skeleton into thousands of pieces and sending it hurtling to the ground. Just in time, Gojira had spun around nearly 180 degrees and used his momentum as a weapon against his foe – a move that impressed even Gendo.

The Angel's broken body twitched sporadically as it lay in the streets. It was completely helpless as Gojira slowly approached it, snarling in contempt.

The prehistoric giant menacingly loomed over his smaller foe for a few seconds before raising his foot above the Angel's torso and stomping down hard. He then lifted his foot back up and brought it down again. And again. And again. And again.

A full minute went by before Gojira stomped down for the last time.

What once was the Angel's corpse was now little more than a bloody smear with arms and legs. The creature's midsection was completely pulverized, with the red jewel in the center broken into several million tiny shards.

Gojira looked down at his work and snorted in satisfaction, then threw his head back and roared triumphantly. When he finished, he slowly turned and began to walk away, paying Unit-01 no heed as he headed east, towards the sea.

Everyone in the Control Room was stunned into silence.

"…t-the Angel has…been destroyed," Maya stammered incredulously. "…um…Unit-01 is still down, but…unharmed."

Ritsuko could barely form a coherent thought in her astounded state. "…Shinji?" she said to the Eva's pilot. "Are you…okay?"

Inside Unit-01's cockpit, Shinji was completely awestruck, and had forgotten that he had just been in mortal danger. He took a while to respond to Ritsuko's voice.

"…yeah. Um…I can't get up."

* * *

><p>Misato, Serizawa, Graham, and Pen Pen spent the entirety of the battle locked inside one of NERV HQ's employee lounges, with no clue as to what was happening on the surface. Gendo had ostensibly ordered them to be secured because he didn't want them snooping around the base, but Serizawa suspected that the Commander wanted to deprive them of the chance to see Gojira.<p>

For what may have been the longest hour of her life, Misato alternated between fidgeting in various seats and pacing the floor, all the while worrying about Shinji. The tremor that slightly shook the room at one point only exacerbated her distress. On several occasions, including the moment after the tremor hit, she requested the guards outside the room to say _something_, but was only met with silence.

Misato had reached the point where she felt like tearing her hair out when the door to the lounge finally opened, and Shinji walked in with Ritsuko behind him. The purple-haired woman quickly made her way over to the boy and gave him a relieved hug, which he reciprocated. Serizawa, Graham, and Pen Pen approached Shinji as well, but gave him and Misato some room.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Misato said as she released her ward from her embrace, ignoring the fact that he smelled like blood. "Actually, I'm surprised; that didn't take long at all."

"Yeah, I'll say," Shinji replied. "I didn't even do anything. I barely made it one step."

"What happened?" Misato asked, looking to both Shinji and Ritsuko.

"Gojira," Ritsuko answered, her eyes narrowed. "Gojira happened."

Misato, Serizawa, and Graham all adopted the same surprised look at Ritsuko's news.

"Gojira showed up and killed the Angel," Shinji elaborated. "And then…he just left."

"Misato…" Ritsuko paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "…just what exactly _is_ Gojira?"

Misato motioned to Serizawa and Graham, who quickly introduced themselves and launched into a brief explanation similar to the one they'd given Shinji a few days earlier.

"I don't understand, Doctor," an uneasy Ritsuko said to Serizawa afterwards. "Why would the Commander keep Gojira a secret from NERV?" The blonde rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"I don't know," Serizawa said, shaking his head. "Perhaps he just wanted to leave the past as far behind him as he could."

Shinji perked up, realizing something. "Wait. Why didn't Gojira attack my Eva when he had the chance?"

"Perhaps he thought that the Evangelion didn't pose enough of a threat," Graham suggested. "Or maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Misato asked.

The doctor took a moment to think. "Why did Gojira follow the Angel in the first place? What if he sensed something unique to the Angel? A pheromone, or some sort of scent. Something that an Evangelion – an Angel _clone_ – couldn't produce."

Ritsuko frowned. "Damn you, Kaji," she quietly grumbled.

"Too late," Misato offhandedly remarked.

"We'd need an Angel specimen to confirm or disprove that," Serizawa said, ignoring Misato and Ritsuko. "And I don't think we'll be getting one any time soon."

"You would be correct."

Everyone in the room turned to find Gendo standing in the doorway, adjusting his glasses.

"The UN has granted NERV the rights to any Angel specimens or remains," the Commander said. "Unless you decide to join our organization, I'm afraid your theory will remain as it is – a theory. More importantly…" He focused his gaze on his son. "Shinji."

Shinji visibly tensed up as his father laid eyes on him. "Y-yes?"

Misato placed a hand on the boy's shoulder in a defensive gesture, staring daggers at Gendo. "If you think you're going to make him pilot again…"

"Miss Katsuragi, you and I both know that you have no leverage in this situation whatsoever," the Commander spat. "Everyone in this building is in danger. We have reason to believe that Gojira is burrowing underground in an attempt to breach the GeoFront. The Evas are our only effective means of defense in this instance."

Graham's eyes widened as she realized Gojira's objective. "He's after the Angel underneath the base."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to Taromaru for following and to Kaiju Alpha and lord destryuk for reviewing chapter six!<p>

In response to your question, Kaiju Alpha, no, the CCI does not exist in this universe…yet.

**UPDATE:** Over two thousand views! EVERYBODY PARTY!

Thanks to lord destryuk and Anon for the reviews of this chapter. Anon, I totally saw your point about the original fight between Godzilla and Sachiel being anticlimactic and one-sided. So, I changed things a little, and I gotta say, I like this new version of the chapter better!

**UPDATE 2:** Thanks to dx-1118 for the very in-depth review of this chapter! Your explanation of A. T. fields was very helpful, and I will be sure to pay careful attention to detail when they're used in future.

For anyone else worried about the Big G being overpowered, I promise that his upcoming fights with Shamshel and Ramiel will be far longer. (Spoiler alert.) Though this is _Godzilla_ we're talking about.


	8. Under Tokyo-3, Near Lake Ashi

**Under Tokyo-3, Near Lake Ashi**

Deep below ground, Gojira viciously clawed at the several thousands of tons of earth that lay between him and his goal. In the midst of chasing the now-dead Angel, some time before landfall, he had sensed another ominous presence beneath Honshu, dormant but alive. While momentarily it posed no threat, Gojira knew that it was far too dangerous to be kept alive, and had resolved to kill it after dealing with the imminent threat of the Angel.

The unknown entity was far enough underground that digging from the surface was not an option, and Gojira had thus opted to start burrowing from the island's slope underwater. The prehistoric titan was almost completely blind so far beneath the earth, and found it difficult to breathe with all the dirt and debris accumulating in his nostrils and gills. Though he was equipped with capable, sharp claws, he was far from a natural burrower. However, irritated and uncomfortable though he was, he refused to slow down. He had no idea just when the entity would awake and start to cause havoc, but he had a chance to strike it down while it was defenseless.

Little did he know that the entity was, in fact, the Second Angel and the originator of all life on Earth – Lilith.

* * *

><p>Ritsuko groaned and put a hand to her forehead. "Just how much did Kaji tell you?"<p>

"Pretty much everything," Misato replied. "Including SEELE's plot to end the world as we know it. Which reminds me, Rits: later, you and I need to have a serious talk about what you've been working on around here-"

"Enough," Gendo said impatiently, cutting Misato off. "Shinji, you will pilot Unit-01 to defend Terminal Dogma from Gojira."

Shinji took a deep breath. "What if I say 'no'?"

Gendo flashed a sinister grin. "Then you will leave me no choice but to detain Serizawa and Graham again, along with Miss Katsuragi and her pet."

Ritsuko wrinkled her brow at the Commander's despicable use of extortion, but did not protest. Pen Pen, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes and angrily squawked at the man.

Shinji glared daggers at his horrible excuse for a father. "…fine," he bitterly responded. "I'll do it. As long as everyone else can go free."

Misato turned and grabbed Shinji's hands. "Shinji, you can't! Gojira could take you out just as easily as he did the Angel."

"He had the perfect chance to attack me while I was defenseless, and he didn't take it," Shinji remarked. "I don't think Gojira sees the Eva as a threat. But, either way, I can't let Father hold you all as hostages – I won't. I _have_ to pilot again."

Misato worriedly sighed. While she admired Shinji's selflessness and resolve, and certainly didn't want to end up as a prisoner of NERV herself, she wondered if the boy was perhaps trying too hard to prove himself to others when he really didn't have to do so. However, Serizawa, Graham, and Pen Pen deserved to go free, and that would only happen if Shinji agreed to pilot. There was no win-win scenario in this instance.

"…are you _sure_?"

"Yes, I am," Shinji affirmed without any hesitation.

Misato tightened her grip on the boy's hands. "Okay, but promise me that this will be the last time you pilot. I might just have a nervous breakdown otherwise."

Shinji smiled as reassuringly as he could. "I promise, Misato."

"Then it's settled," Gendo declared. "Dr. Akagi, escort the Third Child back to the Eva cages." The Commander then turned to the doorway, addressing the guards who stood outside. "Guards, evacuate Drs. Serizawa and Graham, Miss Katsuragi, and the penguin to the lounge on B-5."

Ritsuko stepped forward. "Commander."

"What is it, Dr. Akagi?" Gendo responded, turning his head ever so slightly.

The blonde hesitated. "…Commander, why did you keep Gojira a secret from NERV? From me?"

The Commander was silent for a few seconds. "The information was on a need-to-know basis." With that, he immediately left the room, leaving Ritsuko irritated and everyone else confused.

"…Shinji, let's get you back to Unit-01." The doctor shook off her frustration and put her hand behind Shinji's shoulder, beginning to lead him out of the room. "I hate to say this, but you're not going to like what's coming next."

* * *

><p>The second time around, willing Unit-01 to walk proved far easier for Shinji, but getting it to properly hold its weapon, the Pallet Rifle – a scaled up assault rifle taken from an armory near the cage – was a challenge. Shinji knew nothing of weapons, and needed instructions from Katagiri on how to correctly handle the gun. However, once Unit-01 had firmly grasped its firearm in more or less the right way, Shinji sallied forth with a bit of confidence in his step, directed by Ritsuko through a series of conveniently sized corridors.<p>

Said confidence completely disappeared when he reached the mouth of a massive, bottomless pit.

"Shinji," Ritsuko said from behind Maya's seat in the Command Center, "this is the bad part. You're going to have to jump down this shaft to reach Terminal Dogma, where the Angel is held. It's nearly a 2000 meter drop, so you'll be falling for almost a minute."

Shinji's eyes widened. "Um…is there no other way to get down there?"

"Not with the Eva, no. I'm sorry." Ritsuko paused. "…you'll be okay, Shinji. Just remember to land on your feet."

"Hold on tightly to your rifle," Katagiri added, standing behind Makoto.

"…right. Got it."

Shinji took several harsh, deep breaths, trying to ignore the swarm of nervous butterflies in his stomach and the voice in his head repeatedly saying 'don't do it, you idiot.'

"Okay…here I go!"

With that, Unit-01 leapt feet first into the abyss.

Shinji had experienced many unpleasant sensations in his life, from accidentally cutting himself with a kitchen knife while cooking, to skinning his knees and hands after a nasty fall. But nothing compared to the sheer terror of plummeting straight down for nearly a minute. The boy was glad that he had gone to the bathroom before getting back into the entry plug, or else he would have been even more of a mess. He screamed louder and longer than he had ever screamed, and lost his voice long before he could even see a color other than black beneath him.

Once a spot of orange faded into existence at the bottom of the pit after about a half-minute, Shinji hastily made sure that the Eva's legs were underneath its body, and braced for impact.

The landing was the second most unpleasant sensation he had ever experienced in his life. It rattled his entire body and practically forced his stomach up into his chest. Huge explosions of white and orange shot up all around Unit-01 as the Eva impacted the small, shallow sea of LCL at the bottom of the vast chamber known as Terminal Dogma.

"Shinji!" Ritsuko cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Shinji painfully growled through his teeth after a second.

"Oh, thank God. Just…take it easy. Use as much time as you need to recover."

It took about the same amount of time as the fall had lasted for Shinji to recuperate and be able to move again. Groaning softly, he straightened his Eva's back with a loud cracking noise, and turned around.

What he saw made him jump with fright from his seat in the cockpit.

A strange, white-skinned, humanoid creature, about the same size as Unit-01, limply hung from a large, blood red tau cross in the center of the chamber, its hands nailed in place like Christ's to a crucifix. Its belly was bloated, and in place of its legs were grotesque stumps from which grew a few dozen pairs of normal-sized human legs. The face of its bald, earless head was obscured by a purple mask, embellished with a strange design: two parallel rows of eyes, the left row with three eyes and the right with four, imposed over a downward-pointing triangle. Down the middle of the cross trickled a steady stream of LCL, the source of the pool that the Eva stood in.

"Shinji, this is Lilith, the Second Angel," Ritsuko said, "We cloned Unit-01 from its cells."

Shinji squinted at the river of orange flowing down from the Angel's body, and his eyes widened in horror once he realized just what the fluid was that filled his lungs at that moment. The boy almost immediately regurgitated what few contents there were in his stomach.

"What's wrong?" a concerned Ritsuko asked.

"This stuff _is_ blood!" Shinji screamed in revulsion.

A low rumbling noise drew Shinji's attention away from his disgust. He turned Unit-01 to face the opposite direction, only to see nothing but darkness. The Eva tightly gripped the handle of its weapon, indicating its pilot's anxious uncertainty.

The rumbles continued, getting louder with each passing second and sending ever-intensifying vibrations through the chamber. Suddenly, a loud cracking noise sounded, and a huge jet of water sprayed out from a barely visible, damaged wall.

"Shit, it's going to flood!" Ritsuko exclaimed. "Unit-01 won't be able to move in the water with the B-type equipment!"

"Recoil the umbilical cable!" Katagiri ordered. "We'll use it to pull Unit-01 back up!"

"Roger!" Maya frenziedly tapped at the keyboard on her console. "Umbilical cable recoiling!"

Shinji yelped as his Eva was abruptly yanked upward, from behind, through the mouth of the massive chute. While Unit-01's ascent was decidedly slower than its descent minutes before, it was no less unnerving. Shinji shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to upset his stomach further by looking down from so far up. He was already nauseated enough from the knowledge that he had been soaking in another creature's blood for a while.

Once Shinji was halfway up the shaft, Katagiri gave the order to seal off Terminal Dogma. Makoto quickly executed it with a few taps on his keyboard. The security doors at the bottom of the chute quickly shut just before the cracked chamber wall gave way to a colossal flood. So forceful was the torrent that the cross from which Lilith hung immediately toppled backwards, taking the Angel with it. Gojira's ear-splitting roar filled the chamber, rising over the ferocious noise of the rushing water.

The video feed in the Command Center cut to static, and Gendo stood up from his seat with clenched fists.

Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Commander?"

"Keep him contained," Gendo said coldly, before turning to leave.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kaji?"<p>

"What is it, Asuka?"

"What's your favorite thing about me?"

Ryoji Kaji chuckled slightly at the young girl's question. "What's not to like?" he answered. "You're smart, you're beautiful, you're determined…you're an Eva pilot, and that has to be worth a few brownie points. You've got a lot going for you."

The blue-eyed, redheaded fourteen-year-old playfully giggled and scooted closer to the object of her affections. "Well, if you had to pick _one_ thing about me – my best asset – what would it be?"

Kaji raised a finger to his chin. "Hm. That's a toughie. I think it would be…your smile, maybe? Seeing you happy makes me happy."

"In that case, I'll be sure to smile more often!" Asuka Langley Soryu beamed as she wrapped herself around Kaji's arm.

"Heh. You don't have to force yourself-"

The unshaven, ponytailed man cut himself off when he felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. Once he pulled out the offending device and saw the caller ID, he immediately angled the screen away from Asuka.

"Sorry, I need to take this. Important official business."

Asuka pouted and released her hold on Kaji. "Aw… Well, hurry back!"

"I will," Kaji said with a grin as he stood up from his seat and exited the cafeteria, leaving Asuka alone.

As soon as the girl was out of sight, Kaji answered his phone. "Talk to me."

"_Lilith has just been destroyed,_" Gendo said over the line, maintaining his usual impersonal tone.

"You're kidding me," Kaji said, blinking in disbelief. "What happened?"

"_An unknown creature attacked Headquarters after defeating the Third Angel,_" the Commander replied. "_It burrowed into Terminal Dogma and killed Lilith._"

"A 'creature'?" Kaji said, feigning obliviousness. "What creature?"

_So, Gojira has finally appeared,_ he thought.

"_I will discuss that with you later,_" Gendo replied. "_More importantly, you and the Second Child are in danger. With Lilith gone, the remaining Angels will try to make contact with Adam._"

"And let me guess: it'll arouse suspicion if the Angels start focusing their attacks on Germany all of a sudden," Kaji supposed.

"_Correct. That is why I want the Second Child and Unit-02 transported to Tokyo-3 as soon as possible. The United Nations escort fleet will be arriving early._"

"Fine by me. I just hope the head of 3rd Branch is okay with it."

"_I'm sure I can persuade him. I hope that this change in schedule does not interfere with your plan to retrieve Adam._"

"You have nothing to worry about," Kaji assured. "I'll be in and out of the cryo-chamber in a flash."

"_Look forward to hearing from me again very soon._" With that, Gendo hung up.

Kaji returned his phone to his pocket and sighed. "Well, damn."

* * *

><p>"You've got to be kidding me."<p>

Ritsuko grimaced at the restored video feed from Terminal Dogma. Lilith's mangled corpse lay at the bottom of what was now a lake filled with seawater and LCL. The Angel's head had been torn free of its body, and its mask had been ripped away to reveal a grotesque, skinless face with one eye hanging out of its socket. Its ribcage had been broken open, with several innards either damaged or outright removed. Several scuba divers swam about, inspecting the giant's remains.

The Commander and Sub-Commander had both left the Command Center, and Maya had been excused from her post so she could go to the bathroom and vomit, leaving Ritsuko, Katagiri, Makoto, and Shigeru to contemplate the Angel's death.

"I don't understand," Makoto said, leaning back in his chair. "If the Angels have A.T. fields that protect them from an N2 mine, how come Gojira was able to defeat both of them just like that?"

"The only thing that can counter an A.T. field is another A.T. field," Ritsuko said, rubbing her eyes. "Gojira must have an A.T. field so powerful that it can automatically nullify the Angels'. I'm not surprised, given how large he is."

"We're calling Godzilla a 'he,' now?" Shigeru quipped.

Ritsuko sighed. "I'm just going by what Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham said- wait. Did you just say 'Godzilla'?"

"Did I?" Shigeru pondered aloud. "Slip of the tongue. I meant 'Gojira.'"

"That's actually not a bad name," Makoto commented. "'Godzilla.' Has a nice ring to it."

"Whatever," Ritsuko grumbled. "If Godzilla – Gojira – whatever – is that powerful, then not only do the Angels not stand a chance against him, but neither do the Evas."

"I refuse to believe that, Dr. Akagi," Katagiri declared. "If Unit-00 had been deployed when the Third Angel appeared, I have little doubt that Godzilla would have fallen. You must have more faith in your work. The next time that monster appears-"

"We have no idea when that will be, Captain," Ritsuko interrupted, reaching into her jacket pocket for an e-cig. "Rei still might not be able to pilot by that time."

"Then we'll just send for another spare."

Ritsuko scowled. "That's not your decision to make."

"You're right," Katagiri said, grinning. "My apologies."

"_Senpai_," a weak voice came from the entrance to the Command Center.

Maya shakily walked to Ritsuko and Katagiri, wearing a sickly, pale face.

"Shinji's just woken up," she said, crossing her arms over her stomach.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to Traitor of all Traitors and Cybertronian Kaijuruto for following and favoriting, to Kiba-avalon for favoriting, and to godzillafan1 for the review of chapter seven!<p>

**UPDATE:** 3000 VIEWS! We done it! Also, thanks to Anon, dx-1118, Cybertronian Kaijuruto, and godzillafan1 for reviewing this chapter!

dx-1118, the next few chapters will certainly be more sedate, so you don't have to worry about things moving too quickly. After all, it took Shamshel three weeks to show up after Sachiel's defeat.

godzillafan1, Katagiri is the main human antagonist from _Godzilla 2000_; I brought him into this story because I thought he would totally fit the part of a NERV officer.


	9. NERV Medical Center

**NERV Medical Center**

After Unit-01's sudden ascent up the shaft to Terminal Dogma, Shinji had fainted from being put under too much stress in such a short period of time. Over the course of the next half-hour or so, the boy drifted in and out of consciousness, leaning more towards the latter. He only vaguely heard the muffled sounds of rolling wheels and hushed voices, see the blurry ceiling lights of a long corridor…smell the faint yet distinct stench of blood.

As he faded back into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness, Shinji began to dream.

He saw himself standing at the edge of the water on a calm, quiet beach, with no one else around. A short distance away from him stood a willowy, feminine figure, clad in a white dress, who slowly approached and extended her hand. Recognizing just who the woman was, Shinji reached out and gently took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. The two started to stroll along the beach together, keeping a leisurely pace and smiling all the while. The smell of sea salt wafted through the cool air as the sun began to dip down behind the horizon, causing the sky to bleed orange and pink.

All of a sudden, the woman stopped walking, and Shinji did as well, turning to see what the matter was.

The face of Shinji's mother peeled away to reveal a frightening, inhuman purple and blue maw with pronounced blood-red teeth – the visage of Eva Unit-01. The creature tilted its head to the sky and uttered an awful noise that sounded like a million voices crying out in pain.

Thankfully, the nightmare instantly went away when Shinji awoke.

He lay in a soft bed beneath an unfamiliar, immaculate white ceiling. Blinking confusedly, he sat up and mildly groaned upon finding that his head hurt.

"Oh, good, he's awake," he heard Misato's voice say to his right. The boy turned his head to see the purple-haired woman approach him and kneel by his bedside, with Serizawa, Graham, and Pen Pen behind her.

"Hey, tough guy," Misato greeted Shinji with a worried smile on her face, "how are you feeling?"

Shinji tried to smile back. "I…I'm okay. My head hurts a little, though."

"Aw, I'm sorry," Misato said sympathetically. "I think I might have some aspirin on me, if you want it."

"No, it's fine. But, thank you." Shinji leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows. "I just…what happened?"

"You passed out inside the Evangelion," Misato explained, gently placing her slender hand on Shinji's forehead. "Probably from stress."

Shinji chuckled slightly. "Well, I _did_ fall 2000 meters and then get yanked all the way back up."

Misato failed to hold back a giggle. "True."

Shinji's smile faded as he remembered what happened in Terminal Dogma. "What happened to the Angel? Did Gojira…?"

"We don't know," Serizawa answered. "No one has told us anything yet."

The door to the hospital room opened, and Ritsuko entered, accompanied by a nurse.

"How are you feeling, Shinji?" the doctor asked as she walked over next to Misato.

"I'm alright," Shinji replied. "Do you know what happened to the Angel?"

Ritsuko rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation. "Godzilla killed it."

"…'Godzilla'?" Shinji and Misato said in unison.

"Gojira," Ritsuko corrected herself. "Sorry. That's what we're calling him up at the Command Center: Godzilla. He killed Lilith." Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the grisly sight of Lilith's corpse. "He tore Lilith open."

"Where is he now?" Graham asked.

"Last I was in the Control Room, he was headed southwest," Ritsuko answered. "We don't know where he could be going."

Misato nervously bit her lip and stood to meet Ritsuko at eye level. "Rits, when Shinji checks out, will we be allowed to leave?" She grimaced at the thought of being detained.

An uncertain Ritsuko exhaled deeply. "I really can't say. The Commander hasn't said anything. But, given how many of NERV's secrets you've learned…I doubt he'll let you go easily."

* * *

><p>Gendo sat at one end of a dark room, barely illuminated by thin strips of light running along the pitch-black walls and by the lighted seats of the room's other occupants – holograms of sinister-looking individuals, each lit by a different color. Each from a different nation, these individuals represented the Human Instrumentality Committee, the inner circle of the organization called SEELE and NERV's direct overseer.<p>

They were also very, very displeased at the news of Lilith's death.

"Your egregious lack of foresight has cost us dearly, Ikari," the sharp-faced United Kingdom representative in red began. "Our plan for Instrumentality is now in jeopardy."

"If you had selected a candidate to pilot the Evangelion other than your own son," the wiry French representative in yellow added, "then Gojira might now be dead, and Lilith might still be intact."

"My son may be the only person capable of piloting Unit-01," Gendo said, sitting completely still in his typical pose. "Disappointing though his performance was, he managed to activate the Eva successfully."

"'Disappointing' is a gross understatement," the German representative in full color, Chairman Keel Lorenz, said from the other end of the room. A man of more than seventy years of age, Lorenz sported a gruff visage, slicked-back white hair, and a visor that concealed his eyes. "I will remind you that our objective is not solely based on your Evangelion's success. Our objective, Ikari, is the completion of the Human Instrumentality Project."

"I am aware," the Commander replied. "And I assure you that once Ryoji Kaji delivers Adam-"

"Ryoji Kaji will not be delivering the embryo to you, Ikari," the hook-nosed Russian representative in blue interrupted. "Not after your failure to keep Lilith secure."

"This committee is taking over operational authority from NERV," the Chairman said. "From now on, NERV will act according to our discretion, and you will follow our orders to the letter."

Gendo's folded hands hid his scowl from view. "Is that so?"

"It is, Ikari," the mustachioed United States representative in green noted. "And should you disobey SEELE's commands, you will be punished. Severely."

The Commander was silent, but clearly not complacent.

"I'll take that as a resignation of acceptance," the Chairman said, smirking somewhat. "Your first task will be to find Gojira and destroy it by any means necessary – short of using your son to pilot the Evangelion, that is."

"…understood," Gendo said after a moment's pause, his voice dripping with venom.

"And Ikari," Lorenz added, "we don't want any secrets leaked. Ensure that the boy remains quiet, even if he has no way of proving anything."

"The rest of this meeting does not concern you," the French representative said, before he and the other committee members disappeared.

Gendo continued to sit still for a while in the empty room, seething with hatred.

* * *

><p>Shinji tried his best to avoid scarfing down his hospital food and eat politely in front of the others. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, however, and ate a little more quickly and ravenously than he normally would have. The food was mediocre at best, even compared to the instant dinners he'd more or less entirely subsisted on for the past several days, but it was food nonetheless. Besides, the boy was grateful for something to cleanse the taste of blood from his mouth.<p>

Misato did not share Shinji's compunctions about being presentable. She had been, in her own words, "unjustly deprived" along with her companions, and dug into her food like a Komodo dragon into an animal carcass. Shinji once or twice gave Misato a curious look as she rather loudly shoveled the food into her mouth, but he otherwise didn't mind – she'd been through a lot that day, even if she didn't have to pilot Unit-01.

Serizawa and Graham meanwhile ate their meals in complete silence. They, along with Ritsuko, nervously awaited Gendo's decision to either let the MONARCH members go free or continue to keep them in custody. Ritsuko, who wasn't eating, maintained her professional appearance for the most part as she stood by the door to Shinji's hospital room, but her conflicted thoughts were clear from the way she fiddled with (but didn't light) her e-cig.

The MONARCH members posed a threat with their knowledge of NERV's secrets, yes, but they had apparently known those secrets for a while and hadn't contacted any authorities or otherwise taken action. If they had, then NERV would already be shut down. They probably didn't have sufficient evidence to prove anything – only messages from Kaji. NERV wasn't in danger yet…_yet_. And if the Commander decided to imprison Kaji, which he most likely would, MONARCH wouldn't have access to any further information.

With all of that taken into account, there would be no reason to keep holding Misato, Serizawa, and Graham, and Shinji would therefore no longer be forced to pilot Unit-01.

Of course, the decision to let the four go ultimately rested with the Commander, who was a far less merciful person than Ritsuko. The blonde scientist was ruthless only out of necessity; Gendo was naturally so.

Ritsuko felt a sharp chill run up her spine when the door opened, thinking that it was the Commander. She promptly relaxed, however, when Fuyutsuki entered the room.

"Dr. Akagi," the aging Sub-Commander acknowledged with a smile. Ritsuko merely nodded, while the others in the room perked up.

Fuyutsuki directed his attention to Shinji, his expression growing warmer. "Feeling better there, Shinji?"

Shinji nervously swallowed. "…yes, thank you."

Fuyutsuki chuckled. "My, my. The last time I saw you, you were only three years old. It's been far too long." The Sub-Commander and former MONARCH member shifted his gaze to his left. "And even longer for you, Drs. Serizawa and Graham. It's unfortunate that we had to meet again under these rather unfortunate circumstances. I sometimes miss the way things were… But, that aside, I have potentially good news. Commander Ikari is a bit busy at the moment, but he told me to inform you that, for the time being, Shinji no longer has to pilot Unit-01."

Shinji and Misato both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God," Misato said, moving a few stray hairs away from her face. "Did he say why?"

"SEELE is blaming Lilith's death on NERV's apparent incompetence," Fuyutsuki replied. "The committee believes that we could have killed Gojira were it not for – and these are its words, not mine – an 'egregious lack of foresight' and a 'disappointing performance' by Unit-01's pilot. For the record, I strongly disagree with that latter evaluation, but in any case, SEELE has now taken control over NERV's operations and effectively grounded Shinji."

Shinji felt somewhat offended that SEELE – whatever that was – considered his performance 'disappointing,' but was more glad to be relieved of piloting duty than anything else. It wasn't as though he needed to prove himself to anyone.

"Now, regarding Gojira," Fuyutsuki continued, "we've been ordered to search for and kill him."

"And how would they expect you to do that?" Misato asked, frowning.

"'By any means necessary,'" the Sub-Commander quoted the committee. "We're just supposed to figure it out."

"There's no way we can use the Evas to fight Gojira if he's underwater," Ritsuko said, before her expression changed to one of sudden realization. "But maybe we could shoot something down his throat, get him to swallow a bomb, administer a virus…"

"Ritsuko." Misato stood and approached her old friend with a disappointed glare. "Gojira is a goldmine of knowledge. We could learn so much from him, and you're already talking about killing him. And here I thought you were a scientist."

Ritsuko sighed. "I _am_ a scientist, Misato. But it's not my decision."

"Well, it sure as hell isn't SEELE's," Misato said.

"You're right," Ritsuko responded. "It's the Commander's."

"And do you agree with everything the Commander decides on?"

"…he knows what's best," Ritsuko said hesitantly.

"Not what I asked." Misato crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

Ritsuko bit her lip and thought about the best way to put into words what she was thinking. "No, I don't agree with everything he says," she finally answered. "I object sometimes. Occasionally, he listens. But, because he's the Commander, and because he knows what's best, I will follow whatever orders he ultimately gives."

"In that case, I hope you objected to the decision to use fourteen-year-old _kids_ as pilots." Misato turned to Fuyutsuki before Ritsuko could say anything in response. "Sir, once Shinji's checked out, can we leave?"

Fuyutsuki sadly shook his head. "That, I'm afraid, is where the bad news comes in. Commander Ikari isn't letting anyone go just yet."

Misato made a frustrated noise. "Seriously?"

"Yes, unfortunately," the Sub-Commander said. "Or perhaps fortunately. He wants all of you to join him in the search for Gojira. You know, this could be a great opportunity to see Gojira up close. And…it might be your last, if we do find a way to kill him."

Serizawa looked down at the floor, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Fuyutsuki apologized, "but there's little I can do to dissuade…well, anyone. Especially SEELE."

"Excuse me, Mister, um…" Shinji realized he didn't know the Sub-Commander's name or rank.

"Fuyutsuki," the Sub-Commander said with a smile. "What is it, Shinji?"

"Sorry if I'm still a little behind, but what exactly is 'SEELE'?" the boy timidly asked.

"Ah, yes. I'll explain." Fuyutsuki cleared his throat. "SEELE is the organization that oversees NERV and, once upon a time, oversaw its predecessor GEHIRN. Unfortunately, we don't know too much about SEELE itself. Its members are very, very secretive. What we _do_ know – and what, apparently, MONARCH knows as well at this point – is that SEELE's goal is what we call 'Human Instrumentality.'"

"Human Instrumentality?" Shinji repeated.

"Sub-Commander, we shouldn't…" Ritsuko began to protest.

"He has a right to know," Fuyutsuki said. "After all, the Commander has his own plan for Instrumentality as well." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and exhaled.

"Instrumentality will result in humanity ascending to a higher level of existence. It's far from the end the world; rather, it's a chance to save it. But it requires Lilith or Lilith's counterpart, Adam – intact – to work, because of special properties in their genetic makeup. Both SEELE and your father want to achieve Instrumentality, but for differing reasons."

"W-why does my father want Instrumentality to happen?" Shinji stuttered.

"To reunite with your mother," Fuyutsuki hesitantly answered.

Shinji's eyes widened. "What?"

"Shinji, do you remember how your mother died?"

In truth, Shinji had no recollection whatsoever of the cause of his mother's death. All he knew was that she had been gone by the time he was three years old.

"I-I don't…remember…"

Fuyutsuki paused, before delivering the most shocking revelation that Shinji had ever heard in his life.

"Yui Ikari is not dead. She's still alive inside Eva Unit-01."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Thanks to zalbard, GeassDragon, G-Matt, and ACEofREDspades for following, to Count Sinner and Kuro no Saisei for favoriting, to TitanNinja2018, Fancy Bill, and InugamiGuru for favoriting <em>and<em> following, to Traitor of All Traitors for reviewing _every single chapter_, and to lord destryuk for reviewing chapter eight! And thanks to everyone for over 4000 views! You guys are the best!

In response to your shared question, Fancy Bill and Traitor of All Traitors, you'll just have to wait and see!

**UPDATE:** Thanks to everyone for OVER 5000 VIEWS! WE DID IT! And thanks to Blackholelord and Seanchow806Napoleonic for favoriting; to edCOM02, Silver-Wire, erching, and Albhwa for following and favoriting; and to Traitor of All Traitors, Kaiju Alpha, lord destryuk, godzillafan1, Blackholelord (again), and Fancy Bill for reviewing this chapter (twice, in the case of lord destryuk)!

Blackholelord, you brought up a great point about "spilling all the beans," so I went back and had Fuyutsuki leave out a few details in his explanation of Instrumentality. Thanks for your feedback!


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